When a new client engages with an agency, making sure that everyone is on the same page regarding the client’s unique strategic goals is the first order of business. Agency account teams can’t devise a sound marketing, advertising or PR strategy without clear objectives to inform it; and without an effective strategy, clients will see no return on investment.
Whether a client hopes to drive engagement, conversions and brand awareness or boost their search rankings through SEO, agency partners can help them achieve specific goals by curating and creating the right mix of content and distributing it via the right channels and platforms to reach target audiences. Below, 15 Forbes Agency Council members each share a type of content asset they might include in a client’s marketing strategy and describe the specific goals each type of asset can help achieve.
1. Blog Posts To Drive Web Traffic, SEO Ranking And Credibility
Having a steady cadence of blog posts is a content strategy we recommend to most clients. Blogs are an often-overlooked marketing asset that provides value by driving increased Web traffic, SEO ranking and company credibility. This kind of consistent increase in owned content can also support new business efforts, demonstrating your team’s expertise in target industries. – Heather Kelly, Next PR
2. An E-Book For Lead Gen, Sales Activities And Thought Leadership Campaigns
An e-book or a white paper is a great “root” for a bigger content strategy. Not only are these long-form content assets helpful for lead generation and sales activities, but they can also be used for PR thought leadership campaigns. We have seen a ton of success in taking centerpiece content pieces and turning them into bylined articles, press releases and even proactive pitches to the media. – Catherine Seeds, Ketner Group Communications
3. A 30-Second Mobile Video To Drive Response And Engagement
Thirty-second videos built for mobile in a square 1:1 aspect ratio or vertical orientation that are designed for watching with the sound off and feature an engaging hook within the first three seconds are perfect for performance-focused digital campaigns. They are designed to drive response and engagement, and the 30-second length also allows for repurposing into shorter 15- and 7-second versions. – Geoff Crain, Kingstar Media
4. P2P Endorsements For TOF Awareness And Positive Sentiment
Identify your client’s customer champions—especially those with a great story to tell and strong metrics to share. When those champions share their positive experience with your client’s products or services, peer-to-peer endorsement is a powerful tool for top-of-funnel awareness and positive sentiment. The content can be leveraged and repurposed to fuel paid, earned and owned strategies. – Jodi Amendola, Amendola Communications
5. Multiple Versions Of A BOF Offer Or CTA To Maximize ROI
It’s always best practice to have multiple variations of a bottom-of-funnel offer or call to action. When combining all of these offers, you will be able to maximize the ROI of your campaigns, as different offers will resonate better with different prospects. Sticking to only one offer and not testing different variations on an ongoing basis will lead to diminished ROI, as tastes and trends change over time. – Zamir Javer, Jumpfactor
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
6. Samples, Case Studies Or Project Examples To Showcase For Prospects
Offer samples galore! As a storytelling agency, our bread and butter is crafting bespoke coffee-table books for long-running businesses and families. The best way to showcase what we do is to share examples of successful projects that resonate with their own stories. If you offer a similar product, keep an organized inventory of samples or case studies ready to share with curious prospects. – Samantha Reynolds, ECHO Storytelling Agency
7. Impactful Visuals To Stop Social Media Feed Scrolling For Engagement
Own the feed with visual impact. Create visual and video assets specifically designed to have stopping power in the social media feed. Your content strategy will undoubtedly include ways to amplify that content on social platforms. Paid and organic posts should grab attention and deliver an irresistible proposition to engage with your content. – Eric Gutierrez, Hey
8. An FAQ Page To Establish Credible Expertise And Boost Conversions
When choosing a client’s initial content strategy to build up their website, consider including an FAQ page. Clients appreciate an accessible source of information for them to turn to. This type of content page also boosts the website’s credibility, as it demonstrates the client’s expertise in their field, thereby increasing conversions. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions
9. Search-Optimized Content For Organic Traffic
If nobody’s searching for it, it won’t get found. Content is king when it comes to SEO, and failure to look at a content strategy through an organic traffic lens means missed opportunities. While branded content is important, if it’s not what people are searching for in Google, it’s not going to bring organic traffic. Think of what words people are using to search, and incorporate those words into your content. – Michael Chagala, Rank Harvest SEO
10. A Pitch Letter With The Site URL And Brief Company Background For PR
A pitch letter that includes the website URL and brief company background is one content asset that we always use. As standard as that sounds, it isn’t—it must be within the client’s brand voice, whether that voice is fun and playful or very stern and buttoned-up. A URL is a must though: We do not even work with clients who do not have a well-put-together website. – Monique Tatum, BPM-PR Firm (Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR)
11. In-Depth White Papers For Thought Leadership, Credibility And Leads
In our content strategy, we use in-depth white papers and e-books to position clients as thought leaders, establish credibility and generate leads. These assets showcase expertise, differentiate our clients from competitors and attract customers seeking in-depth information. Gated access helps capture leads and build email lists for future marketing efforts. – Jon James, Ignited Results
12. Micro-Influencer Video Content To Build Brand Authenticity And Tap Into Niche Communities
Incorporating video from micro-influencers into your content strategy does two things: It builds authenticity for your brand and taps into hyper-relevant niche communities on social media. As the influencer market expands and video dominates the algorithm, agency partners can help clients vet quality content creators and ensure influencers have as much creative freedom as possible. – Louis Simon, Simon/Myers, LLC
13. UGC To Build Trust And Authenticity, Engage Users And Amplify Brand Advocacy
User-generated content such as customer testimonials, reviews or social media posts can help achieve the marketing goal of building trust and authenticity. Incorporating UGC not only showcases real experiences and opinions, but also encourages user engagement and amplifies brand advocacy. It empowers customers to become brand ambassadors, fostering a sense of community and social proof. – Tom Elstner, Zoogency GmbH
14. Direct Mail To Drive A Message Or Offer Home
Direct mail continues to be a reinforcing piece of content strategy. It aligns with your target household demographic and income data to drive the message or offer home along with ads the consumer should have already been served on their offline and online platforms. – Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising
15. Gated Content To Gather Site Visitors’ And Prospective Buyers’ Email Addresses
Everyone needs some gated content, no matter the business. Not everyone visiting your website is ready to work with you immediately, so you need to find something you can offer them for free to get their email address. This starts the relationship by providing value to them before they’ve committed to you, and it makes future sales much more effortless. – Andrew Maffettone, BlueTuskr
Read the full article here
