It’s about crafting a strategy that attracts, engages, and converts your ideal customers. But what makes a content marketing strategy successful? The answer lies in the three essential pillars: owned media, quality content, and distribution channels.
When these pillars - owned media, quality content, and distribution channels - are strong and work in harmony, your content marketing efforts can achieve incredible results.
And that begs the question, "What's do I need to "do" content marketing properly?"
In a previous article we explained that any content marketing strategy needs a documented plan to ensure that it will be executed as designed. And when it comes to plans and strategies, it has been rightfully said that, "If it's not written down, it's just a rumor."
But, sometimes, even a documented strategy plan can be deficient if these three pillars have not already been recognized and established as essential elements of your overall strategy. So, let’s break down each of these pillars and explore how they form the foundation of a winning strategy.
Owned media is the backbone of your content marketing strategy. It includes all the digital platforms and assets that your business owns and controls, such as your website, blog, and email list. Unlike rented spaces—such as social media platforms where algorithms dictate your reach—owned media gives you complete control over how your content is presented and consumed.
To strengthen this pillar, ensure your owned media is well-optimized, user-friendly, and regularly updated with fresh content. It’s your digital storefront, so make it shine.
Content is the heart of your marketing strategy. However, not just any content will do. Quality content—content that resonates with your audience, provides value, and aligns with your brand’s goals—is what sets successful strategies apart from mediocre ones.
High-quality content not only attracts visitors but also keeps them coming back. It establishes your brand as an authority and builds trust, which is essential for converting leads into customers.
Focus on creating content that prioritizes your audience’s needs over self-promotion. Consistency is also crucial – publishing regularly ensures your audience remains engaged and your brand stays top of mind.
In addition, writing quality is as a much a part of the equation as is relevance to the search query that found your content via a search engine (e.g. Google). But there are a number of other factors that matter but are often overlooked. This excerpt from an article by Patrick Stox at Search Engine Journal provides some great guidelines:
Some content quality signals you can control
- Broken links.
- Wrong information.
- Grammatical mistakes.
- Spelling mistakes.
- Reading level.
- Excessive ads.
- Page load speed.
- Matching the user intent with the purpose of a page and type of content.
- Authority and comprehensiveness.
There are things outside of your control in the short term, but you can play the long game and continue to build your authority over time by consistently creating comprehensive content.
Even the best content won’t deliver results if no one sees it. That’s where distribution channels come in. These are the platforms and methods you use to share your content with your audience, ensuring it reaches the right people at the right time.
Organic Channels:
Not all distribution channels are created equal. Focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active and adapt your content for each channel’s unique format and tone.
A strategic distribution plan amplifies the reach and impact of your quality content. Don’t just publish—promote.
These three pillars don’t operate in isolation—they work together to create a cohesive and effective content marketing strategy. Here’s how they interconnect:
Neglecting one pillar can weaken the entire strategy. For example, excellent content won’t succeed without a strong distribution plan, and an optimized website is meaningless without quality content to populate it.
Mastering the three pillars of content marketing—owned media, quality content, and distribution channels—is essential for creating a strategy that drives results. Start by auditing your current efforts:
Strengthen each pillar to build a strategy that not only attracts an audience but also converts them into loyal customers. Remember, content marketing isn’t a one-time effort—it’s an ongoing process of creating, optimizing, and sharing value.
Ready to get started? Your audience is waiting!
Establishing a powerful content marketing strategy for your small business demands a harmonious integration of these three pillars: a solid web presence, the creation of quality content, and effective content distribution channels.
Embrace these components, adapt them to your business's unique needs, and consistently refine and improve your strategy as you learn more about your audience and the evolving digital landscape. By doing so, you'll create a robust framework that drives engagement, nurtures customer relationships, and ultimately boosts your business's success in the digital realm.
By now you probably know that executing a successful content marketing strategy can drive traffic to your website and create new prospects for your business. And, with the proper pillars in place, you can build an effective and efficient content marketing process.
But achieving your marketing objectives with a great content marketing strategy will take time. It doesn't happen with a few blog posts or some other great content you might produce.
The overriding fact of content marketing is that people will need to consume your content for a while before they contact you. Yet, without your content compelling them to contact you, your goals may never be met. Without consistent, high-quality pieces being published with optimum frequency, you may fall short of your goals.
The good news is that you don't have to do it all alone. In fact, one of the best investments you can make with your marketing budget is to partner with a solid firm like BroadVision marketing. Click this link to get your free Complimentary Inbound Marketing Session so you can make an informed decision or call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.