Planning ahead to stay on your content game in 2017
It’s the new year: time to enact all those glorious marketing resolutions you came up with last week, right? We’re all about planning ahead—especially when it comes to your content marketing strategy. But before you start setting those plans in motion, here are a few things to think through to ensure your marketing strategy for 2017 is perfectly on point.
1. Check the trends.
January is a great month for new marketing research to hit the news. People are finally pulling together data from 2016, and are ready to announce their latest findings. Not to mention all the new industry announcements from nearly every sector. You may not know what the latest news will be, but you can plan coverage of it into your blog or other content marketing platforms. Take some time to read up on it, and find a spot in your content calendar to slot it in.
2. Plan for seasonal events.
We know when the big holidays are, and we should plan ahead to cover them. Are you in retail? You need to start planning for Christmas by early summer. Do you work in education? Make sure to plan around the school year. And don’t forget internal events. Does your company have a big team BBQ planned for June? Think about covering it in your blog, or plan to post some pictures to social media.
3. Think like a reporter.
You want to cover industry news while it’s still relevant, and that means catching them early. Pay attention to when major players in your industry announce updates or press releases. Add them to your calendar, and be ready to cover them. Conferences are another key place where you can stay at the forefront of your industry. Start planning how you intend to cover the event, and make sure that everyone’s comfortable with their tools before the event starts. If someone’s role is to live tweet the conference, you want to connect them with your corporate account before they jump on the plane.
4. Cover all your bases.
You’ve got your blog, your social media, and your email newsletter planned out. You’ve even planned out a prime piece of downloadable content to help collect emails and grow your list. But are there any areas you’ve overlooked, or ways you could make better use of the platforms you’re on? Maybe this is the near you start up a vlog or launch a podcast. Think beyond what you’ve done in past years, and you could discover an exciting new marketing avenue to draw in your audience.
Make your marketing strategy for 2017 a success.
Of course, the biggest thing you need to do to make your marketing strategy for 2017 work is to follow through. If you fall behind, consider cutting a few items till you have a more manageable workload. Or bring in help to better handle areas which may not be your strongpoint.