Content marketing strategies

Content marketing is arguably the most noticeable result of how marketing has shifted its focus from outbound to inbound efforts. From social media managers to VPs and CEOs, everyone is trying to create top content to fuel inbound marketing efforts. For help recruiting the right creative and marketing professionals to add to your team, contact us today.

What is content marketing?

What does the term really mean? And how can you ensure that your company is creating relevant and compelling content?

Content marketing is a marketing process where valuable and relevant content is created in hopes of gaining new customers or driving customer action. This content can be anything from an article to a blog post to a video that helps direct customers to a specific action and measurable result.

Why a content marketing strategy is key

Content marketing is expanding in relevance and importance due to the "a la carte" nature of today's media. Consumers record television shows to skip the commercials and buy radio services without advertisements. They can skip – and even disable – ads on websites. This is just one factor indicative of the decreasing influence of outbound marketing, which makes it more difficult for marketers to reach targeted audiences through traditional efforts.

Content marketing has become a vital tool because messages are delivered as content that consumers want. These messages are dispatched in a variety of ways, from social media posts, to blogs, to viral videos distributed online and by email.

Content's strain on marketing teams

Content marketing can be expensive and time-consuming. Marketing teams need well-rounded professionals with various types of skill-sets – copywriting, graphic and web design, videography and SEO – to effectively produce quality content.

Marketing leaders should focus on building out their teams with that new vision of the best type of marketing candidate. Fortunately, there are a variety of solutions to create compelling content quickly, especially while teams don't yet have all the right members in place.

Make the most of your existing content

Great content marketing begins with using information you have on hand in a variety of formats and across multiple channels.

Use content across mediums: White papers, journals, research articles and even basic company information can be broken up into several different pieces. Use that content to craft small )but usable) chunks. Take your white paper and break each section into a separate blog post with images.

Get the whole team involved: Highlight company information in fun and unusual ways, such as sharing bios of employees in your blog. Have them share a product they can't live without or any industry trends they've been observing. Every member of your team can be a content creator.

Look at numbers: Turn them into something visual and cool like an informational graphic, or infographic. This type of content especially great for sharing on social media networks and can expose new customers to your brand. Plus, creating an infographic can be quick and inexpensive with tools such as Infogr.am, Piktochart or Visual.ly.

Get free, high-quality content

Partnering with guest bloggers can be a quick way to generate content and buzz.

Work with a guest blogger who will write at a low charge or even no charge. Give the blogger a byline and allow them to link to their website, blog or social media channels in exchange for writing.

This “free” work is mutually beneficial for your company and the blogger. You get both additional content and access to the blogger's own following, while the guest blogger increases their reach and portfolio. For an added bonus, your blog and website will get an SEO boost when the blogger promotes their post by linking to your blog from their website, blog and social channels.

Add contractors/freelancers to your team

Using contract or freelance workers is a quick way to expand your team and content output without having to hire permanent employees right away.

Consider bringing on a contract copywriter or graphic designer to help pump out some fresh content. Creative roles make up nearly 60% of freelancers.

This includes:

• Designers
• Illustrators/Animators
• Writers
• Editor/copy editors
• Copywriters
• UX/User Experience

When you use contract and freelance workers, your company gets the content you need with little overhead. This type of project-based work has been gaining popularity among small business for years and is expanding to larger companies as well.

By using freelance or contract workers, businesses don't bring on costs associated with full-time workers such as benefits, payroll taxes, office space or equipment. Plus, it can be easier to get approval to hire someone for a single project rather than request a permanent salary.

But how do you find the right contract or freelance workers?

Working with a staffing agency is a quick way to find talented creative contractors with the right experience. Not only will staffing agencies help you find talent, but the best ones will ensure your contractors stay on task and on deadline. Plus, staffing agencies can provide you with quality contractors while also recruiting the perfect permanent fit for your team.
Working with a contractor is also a great trial run for employment. You may even end up hiring them permanently!

Don't waste time searching - use experts to find top creative candidates

Your company has a specific culture and your team has a specific need. What you don't have is time to find the person who fits your open position. Partner with a staffing agency that specializes in recruiting in the creative space. These agencies make it their sole purpose to develop relationships with all types of top creative talent who are looking for their next opportunity. They spend the time recruiting, vetting and on-boarding, so you can focus on your real job – bring business to your business.

About Adecco Creative & Marketing

Adecco Creative & Marketing can help employers just like you find the right people for almost any job, including content and digital marketing roles. From contract to permanent employees, Adecco can help you find the right candidates in a variety of creative fields. We can customize solutions to your specific needs. Let us help you efficiently build your perfect creative team – contact us today.