Content has become an all-important aspect of the modern business’s marketing strategy. From videos and blog posts, to podcasts and user generated content, 60% of marketers say that content marketing is a successful tool for nurturing leads. Furthermore, 51% say it is crucial for generating revenue and 47% believe it is vital for building an audience of subscribers.
But good content doesn’t just happen. It needs to be carefully researched and mapped out, following a content creation framework. So what does this process typically involve?
Stage 1: Idea generation
Great content starts with great ideas. These need to be appropriate for the content’s target audience and goals. There are three main steps in achieving this.
Identify the audience
Content aimed at the wrong people will rarely deliver results, no matter how inventive or interesting it is. The first step to creating winning content is to identify or reaffirm who the target audience is, as well as what they’re looking for and which platforms they most engage with.
Align your goals
A brand’s content should also be determined by its specific goals, like increasing sales or improving brand reputation. For example, TV and billboard advertising can be good for raising awareness of a new brand, while videos can be a good way of sharing tutorials for new products.
Brainstorm new concepts
After establishing the content’s audience and goals, it’s time to start brainstorming some concepts. There are many ways brands can spark their imagination, from creating topic lists and performing competitor research, to revisiting old content and providing a unique angle on topical news or stories.
Stage 2: Content production
After laying the groundwork and putting together a content plan, it’s now time to bring everything to life.
Enlist talent
To create great content, you need great creatives at the wheel. Brands have two options here — either using in-house staff or hiring external creatives. For companies that don’t have the internal resources to create winning content, working with a dedicated content production agency like Pitch can be the most logical move. With over 20 years’ experience creating high-class content for a range of household brands, we can take care of all stages of the content creation process and produce exceptional work across many mediums.
Create an assignment brief
The next part of the content production process is about relaying the content plan and aims to those creating it. Making an assignment brief is an effective way of doing this. It should include information like:
- A summary of the project and its goals
- Target audience
- Deadlines for different stages of the content creation process
- Links to relevant resources, such as brand guidelines and research materials
- Credentials for special access such as press passes
- Access to software and equipment required to complete the project
Start production
It’s finally time to start creating content! During this phase, it’s important to have regular meetings to assess whether things are going as planned and to schedule, and to ensure the creative team has the necessary support to deliver the project. Brands also need someone in place to review the content at each draft stage.
Stage 3: Content distribution
The final part of the content creation process is its distribution, ensuring it has the widest audience reach as possible. How a brand executes this depends on the type of content in question, but there are three main categories of distribution channel to explore:
Owned channels – These are channels businesses have full control over, like their website, their email marketing contact list, and their social media accounts.
Paid channels – Paid channels are, as the name suggests, those brands have to pay for to gain coverage. This might include traditional marketing methods like TV and print advertising, or digital channels like Google Ads or social media ads.
Earned channels – Earned channels are those where content is featured because it’s good enough to be approved by a platform’s editor, gatekeeper, or moderator. These include media coverage, podcast appearances, and online product reviews and roundups.
Stage 4: Measuring results
Only by measuring the impact of content can companies see if it has been successful or not. These insights allow content creators to tailor their approach to improve results if required, or demonstrates what has worked well and should be leveraged in future content campaigns. Some typical key performance indicators (KPIs) for content marketing include social media interactions, conversions, and click-through- rates, all of which can be tracked using various marketing tools.
Pitch can take care of your own brand’s content creation process. We have a track record of producing award winning content from some of the biggest businesses around, including the likes of EE, Uber Eats and Hyundai. Check out more of our work here, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you want to find out more about Pitch or make an enquiry.
