The Content Marketing Process: In 5 Steps to Content that Convinces Your Target Audience

1. Step 1: Why goals and target group are the basis in the content marketing process
2. Step 2: Why there will be a lack of attention without good content
3. Step 3: Seeding is King - spreading content where it will be seen
4. Step 4: Analyse, test and optimise - listening to the user
5. Step 5: Keeping content fresh and recyclable
6. Outlook towards the future: What does ChatGPT and Co. mean for the future content marketing process

In an almost fully digitized world, where information is abundant, it has become even harder for companies to stand out from the crowd. And the fight for attention is becoming even more demanding. One reason: The number and frequency of advertising messages bombarding your target group today is leading to a general rejection of advertising messages. It's harder than ever to get the right messages into the minds of potential customers.

Ever since many companies have realised that marketing needs to be more oriented towards the needs of their target audience, Content Marketing has achieved its incredible fame.

As the author and marketer John Nemo correctly says: "In today's marketplace, content has become the currency you use to buy the time, attention and interest of the audiences you want to sell your products and services to." In other words: Nothing works without good content anymore. But how do they succeed? And what does the process look like until you have reached your goal? These questions are answered by our guest author Linus Kurtenbach in this article.

The Content Marketing Process: A Never-Ever Ending Lovestory.

Good content marketing never ends, but is a continuous and lengthy process. In my understanding, Content Marketing describes the data-driven planning, creation, distribution, measurement, and optimisation of content for a defined target group. There are recurring and fundamental steps that should be adhered to in order to be successful.

Step 1: Why goals and target group are the basis in the content marketing process

The first step in the content marketing process is to set clear goals. Companies need to ask themselves what they want to achieve with their Content Marketing Strategy. Do they want to increase brand awareness, increase traffic on their website, or generate leads? The definition of these goals is crucial to align the entire process.

In parallel to goal setting, it is important to thoroughly analyse the target group. Companies need to understand who their potential customers are, what needs and challenges they face in everyday practice, and where they can be found online. A detailed target group analysis can help companies tailor their content to the needs of the target group and achieve a better response.

Step 2: Why there will be a lack of attention without good content

Based on defined goals and target group analysis, the second step involves creating high-quality content. The content should be relevant, appealing, and informative in order to provide real value to the target group. Otherwise, it simply won't be noticed. This can take various formats such as blog articles, videos, infographics, eBooks, or social media posts.

It's important to design the content in a way that addresses the needs and interests of the target group. Companies should position themselves as experts in their field and provide helpful information. It's advisable to create a varied mix of different content types to keep the target group's attention. The top credo: Quality over quantity and benefits over "marketing blah blah".

Step 3: Seeding is King - spreading content where it will be seen

The generated content is of little use if it is inefficiently and wherever your target group hangs out and is looking for information. So, the third step involves spreading the content in the right places to maximise reach. Companies should select the best platforms to reach their target audience. This can be done via the company's own website, social media, email marketing or influencer marketing. Companies should strategically plan their distribution and spread the content through various channels to achieve maximum visibility.

Step 4: Analyse, test and optimise - listening to the user

Important: The content marketing process does not end with the publication of the content. The fourth step involves continuously checking and optimising the created content. This includes analysing data and metrics to understand which content is working well and which needs improvement.

Attention-driven metrics include reach or increasing awareness. Engagement (interaction) and dwell time are interaction-driven KPIs. Completion and performance-driven key metrics include conversion rates on newsletters, the number of downloads or the number of new leads.

Companies should use various analysis tools to measure important metrics such as interaction rates, dwell time on the site, or conversion rates. These data provide valuable insights into how the content is received by the target group and where potential areas for optimisation may lie. Based on these insights, companies can adapt and further improve their content. The best content marketing tools by comparison can be found on OMR Reviews.

Step 5: Keeping content fresh and recyclable

To prolong the life of the content and further improve visibility, it is advisable to regularly update and reuse existing content in different formats. This can be done by updating blog articles, creating videos or podcasts based on existing content. Content that becomes outdated should be updated and brought into a fresh and current state with, for example, new studies. Content can always be thought of and implemented in different and new formats.

Outlook towards the future: What does ChatGPT and Co. mean for the future content marketing process

With advances in artificial intelligence, a new era in content marketing is also looming. The availability of data is a crucial driver of digitalization and progress. Information is the basis for algorithms to constantly improve and learn new things. Similar to the brain's vocabulary learning, large amounts of data help a "self-learning" system to offer greater precision and value creation. Artificial intelligence can do a lot of things that we often lose track of in stressful everyday life: be precise, constant, deliver on demand - and even be creative.KI-Text-Generator-Tools like Retresco Textengine, neuroflash or OpenAI ChatGPT can support the process in the following areas:

Creative ideation: Generative AI enables companies to generate new and innovative ideas for content. Using algorithms trained on large amounts of data, generative AI can suggest ideas that are both original and tailored to the target group. This approach enables companies to differentiate themselves from the competition and produce fresh, appealing content.

Automated Content Creation: One of the biggest challenges in content marketing is the continuous production of high-quality content. Creating blog articles, for example, takes time – up to 8 hours for a 2-page article in my case. Generative AI enables this process to be accelerated and partly automated and increases the production speed. With the help of training data, AI technology may be able to create texts, blog posts, social media content, and other types of content that reflect the style and tone of the company. This allows companies to use their resources more efficiently while maintaining consistent quality.

Personalization and targeting: Generative AI also offers companies the opportunity to tailor content individually and specifically to the needs of the target group. By analyzing user data, AI can generate personalized content based on individual behavior, preferences, and the user's context. This personalized content contributes to building stronger customer loyalty and increasing the conversion rate.

Improved efficiency and cost saving: By using generative AI, companies can optimize their production processes and make them more efficient. Automating content creation saves time and resources that can be used elsewhere.

Challenges and ethical considerations: The use of generative AI in content marketing also raises challenges and ethical questions. The quality and consistency of the generated content need to be carefully monitored to ensure they meet company standards. Data protection and security policies also need to be considered to ensure the protection of sensitive information. It's important that companies handle this technology responsibly and ensure human oversight and control.

In my view, a balanced combination of human creativity and generative AI can significantly improve the content marketing process. Companies should leverage the potential of generative AI while also handling it responsibly and ensuring that human oversight and control can be maintained throughout the process.