You’ve heard it before: content is king—and the way to create relevant, consistent content is by creating a content map.  Content marketing is not a short-term campaign. Just like the manufacturing sales cycle, it is a long-term strategy to attract, convert, close and retain customers. Below, learn my best practices for creating a content map for inbound marketing success.

What is a Content Map?

A content map is a cross section outline detailing your approach to your buyer personas (prospects and customers). Your map details not only the type of content such as a blog post, infographic or video but the schedule and nature of how you are sending the content. Your messages are always developed with the inbound marketing methodology and your target buyer personas in mind. Furthermore, you must consider their stage in the buyer’s journey (awareness, consideration, decision). The goal is to target content according to the characteristics of the person consuming your content (that’s why buyer persona research is so crucial) and how close that person is to making a decision to buy your product or service (lifecycle).

Content Map Essentials

A content map is so much more than a calendar with content assigned to specific dates. An effective content map is tailored to the buyer personas (who you want to sell to), their specific engagement level (how often their opening, clicking or engaging with your brand/content), and the channels used to reach those targeted personas. Content map essentials include:

• A list of what you are publishing based upon your content strategy. This should include if the content is repurposed or needs to be written. Also, keep in mind industry trends, new product lines, or other factors that should influence when you post certain content.
• Names of individuals creating the content.
• The channel(s) for the content.It is essential to map out where you are sharing your content. For example, if you are creating an eBook, list the blog content, social content, and email blasts to promote the eBook.
• Target Audience and Lifecycle Stage. It’s important to include the targeted “buyer persona” and “lifecycle stage”. Also include keywords which your target buyer persona will be searching during their specific lifecycle stage.
• Dates for completion and publishing. Indicating when it’s due for review and when it’s intended to be published is key to keep your employees accountable and ensure you create the content you intended.
• Long-tail Keywords. Long-tail keywords are essential to ensure that your content appears in search. Use tools such as HubSpot or Google Keyword Planner to find keywords that will attract your ideal prospects.

Content Map Organization

When organizing your content map, we suggest mapping 6 months to a year worth of content. Below is a suggested content map layout.

• Content type
• The buyer persona(s) targeted
• Lifecycle stage of buyer pesona(s) target
• Person/individuals responsible for creating the content
• Long-tail keywords to include in the content
• Channels to publish the content (social, blog, YouTube, etc.)
• Due Date
• Publish Date
• Column for Status (yellow for in process, green for completed)
• Call-to-Action on the content
• Separate tab on the content map for content idea brainstorming

With these simple tips, you’ll be on the right track to content marketing success. Struggling to think of content ideas? Check out our blog 10 Ways to Reignite Your Manufacturing Blog for some content ideas that your manufacturing prospects and customers will love.

How to Align Your Manufacturing PR Strategy with Sales for Ultimate Success

At the end of the day, (for most manufactures on a single shift that could be 6:15 pm!), sales are the bottom line. We have said it before, “nothing happens until someone sells something.” Sales should be top of mind for everything you do from your trade show strategy to manufacturing PR and everything in between.

Your marketing department needs to be laser-focused on this one goal: When they see our content (news article, press release, blog post, social messaging) what do we want them to do? You guessed it, buy your product and service. Ah, if it was just that simple.

Tactically, you still need all the tools of an optimized website, a strong trade show plan, a targeted direct marketing program…but let’s keep the focus where it needs to be, selling. Inbound, outbound, telemarketing, even cold calls still work if done in the right context. Content is the fuel that each of these tactics need to move the process forward.

Stories allow your manufacturing company to show your expertise and differentiate your company from competitors, and who better to tell your story than the experts at content creation: a PR firm. PR firms are the experts in telling stories. Your marketing strategy should incorporate PR to create brand recognition and give your company third party credibility. Read “Why Manufacturers Still Need PR in a Digital World” to learn about the importance of PR.

Now, not all PR strategies are created equal and it is important to have a PR strategy that is tailored to your buyer personas, or the people to whom you sell.   Now you may be thinking to yourself “how do I create great content”? Have your sales engineers, the ones who know each customer’s story share what was successful on a recent project or trends they are noticing in their industry. There is a story behind each invoice; align your sales team with your PR firm. Let your PR firm help you evaluate the newsworthiness of each piece of content. When you feed the top of your sales funnel with more qualified leads and you’ll start to see customers at the end of the funnel. So, what story will you tell?

 

Is your manufacturing blog lacking content? Sitting down to develop a content map or write a new post but nothing is coming to you? Great manufacturing blog content may be right under your nose. Here are some simple ways to find and create blogs that are relevant and engaging to the various verticals and buyer personas that you serve.

1. Review Social Media & Website Forms

Are people consistently asking the same kinds of questions on your contact us form? Are people leaving comments on your blog or social media? These are all great places to get a sampling of your audience and their unique needs, wants and preferences. What content is getting the most engagement? Your audience is probably already telling you what to do.

2. Re-purpose Videos and Webinars

Have a great video of your process? Did you do a webinar showcasing your industry expertise? Just because you shared your videos and webinars doesn’t mean they can’t be re-purposed! Embedding videos provides visual interest. Consider transcribing the script of the video for a blog series or create an eBook.  Remember, to have good search engine optimization ranking, aim for 300-500 words in your blog content.

3. Check Out Your Manufacturing Network

Look at manufacturing industry related LinkedIn Groups to identify current trends and issues facing their industries.  Also, follow industry experts on LinkedIn and Twitter.  While you’re checking your feed, jot down trending topics for content inspiration.

4. Set Google Alerts

Google Alerts are a simple want to stay on top of industry trends. Set Google Alerts with keywords from your industry or the verticals you serve. Google alerts will send you emails with your pre-defined industry headlines.

5. Debunk Manufacturing Misconceptions

Notice any common manufacturing misconceptions? Don’t be scared to explain why the misconceptions are wrong and take the opportunity to explain how your products and services address the challenge.

Example: A common misconception our client in the gasket and rubber products industry faces is that o-rings and lathe cut gaskets are interchangeable. Writing a blog on the 5 differentiators of a lathe cut gasket vs an o-ring in a certain application is a great way to showcase your expertise and give your audience valuable knowledge.

6. Showcase Industry Research and Case Studies

Let’s face it: people are naturally skeptical of what they see on online. Your prospects know that you can say anything you want about yourself on your website. That’s where your white papers and case studies come in. White papers and case studies add third person credibility to your company.

7. Interview Your Employees and Business Partners

Hearing firsthand from your employees and business partners why they like your company and enjoy working with you. Employee spotlights and partnership spotlights always make great pieces of content.

8. Recap Industry Events

Attend or present at an industry trade show or seminar? Share the key takeaways in a short 300 word blog with photos from the event. Don’t forget to caption the photos as captions are often the most read item on a page!

9. Highlight Giving Back

Does your company raise money for charity or volunteer for a specific cause? Bring awareness to your philanthropic efforts and invite others to participate. Remember, your customers do not want to buy from a “vendor” they want to buy from people. Making the public aware of the company’s volunteering brings a human aspect to your brand and helps you develop deeper relationships with your prospects.

10. Survey Your Prospects and Customers

If you’re stumped for content go directly to the people who are consuming yours. Create a simple 5 minute survey about your content to gauge if your prospects and customers like your content or if not, what types of content they would enjoy seeing from you in the future.

In Part One, we covered the steps necessary to prepare your company to arrange interviews with industry media at trade shows. Now that you have interviews scheduled, you’ll need to be prepared for the actual interview.

The Interview

Have both your media-trained experts as well as media kit information ready at interview time. Copies of press releases, company profiles and even product samples are important. Be ready for photo opportunities, including video and audio interviews. It’s a mega-media world now.

Hint: We stop (no not accost) anyone with a skinny notebook or a camera more expensive than your first car. These are media that may be flying under your radar. Ask who they are working for and if they know your company. Invite them back to your trade show booth for a tour.

Hint two: Same approach with media but track them down in the show’s media room. There is often a table for your materials and you might be able to politely start a conversation while you drop off your materials (last show I was tossing candy bars across the room to the hungry media toiling over their laptops).

The Follow Up

If you promised photos or a research paper, send it! Make sure they have everything they need to post their story. Thank them and follow them as well on social media. We often post pictures during the interviews at the booth to the media social accounts.

So, go get ‘em! Start a relationship with media. Be patient. Understand they work months ahead of time, have no obligation to cover your company and have a job to do as well. Be persistent, helpful and flexible. The results may be years of stories as you become a trusted industry resource.