Social Media Site Dedicated to the Hospitality and Travel Industries, TRO SMITH, Unveils 10 Step Content Marketing Strategy for Startups and Brands
Tallahassee, FL (PRWEB) August 30, 2013 -- TRO SMITH is pleased to present a 10 Step Content Marketing Strategy for Startups and Brands. David Murdico, contributing writer for TRO SMITH – the new online destination and collaborative forum on social media marketing for Travel and Hospitality companies – has created an easy to understand and implement content media strategy to help businesses utilize this effective and relatively low-cost way to increase awareness of, and interest in, their products and services.
Murdico, who serves as managing partner of Supercool Creative, a digital agency specializing in digital strategy, social media, PR and online video production with a client list that includes Capcom, Dish, Atari, Pizza Hut, T-Mobile, Dickies, IBM and roster of dynamic new startups, says, “The secret is to create content that’s valuable and shareable, get it to the right people, entertain, inform and educate them, and position yourself as an expert.”
The complete “10 Step Content Marketing Strategy for Startups and Brands” can be accessed and downloaded for free at TROSMITH.com. Here is a glance at the key steps included in this content marketing approach.
1. Make sure you understand the concept of content marketing.
Content marketing involves creating videos, blog posts, byline articles, photos, contests, podcasts, news, ebooks and social media updates, and sharing them with, or setting them up to be found by a company’s target demographic.
2. Identify your target buyers.
Content developers should ask themselves: Who are your target buyers? Before starting to create content, they have to know who they’re creating it for. Who is the ideal customer? Who is most likely to buy what they’re selling? It is important to be specific. If there’s more than one target market, content marketers should make a list.
3. Identify who influences your target buyers.
Second to getting to the target consumer, is getting to the people, channels, blogs and publications that influence them, especially concerning their buying decisions. Content marketers should identify writers, journalists and social media influencers that actively discuss topics relevant to their target buyers.
4. Decide what content is most important to your target buyer.
When developing content, one should ask: What problems does the target audience need help solving? What information is important to them? Are they looking to be educated, entertained or both? What makes them laugh, cry or care? For content to be most effective, one should become the place the targeted audience goes for solutions. The content developer should answer their audiences’ questions with good, valuable information.
5. Select which content marketing formats to focus on.
Depending on the product or service, the age range of a company’s demographic, the marketing budget, and how much time an individual or team will have to commit to content creation, companies can establish the format they can stick with best on a consistent basis. The idea is to build a fan base for the content, so being consistent is essential.
6. Decide on a distribution frequency and make a content calendar.
Resources and priorities will always be a factor, but like anything else, the more effort that is put in, the more a business will get out of it. The best approach is to make sure a company commits to a schedule, lays out a calendar, brings together the resources needed and be consistent.
7. Decide which social media channels you’ll use most heavily.
The best approach is to study which channels the company’s target buyers use most and start there. Content developers should see which ones work best then update the rest at a slower pace.
Murdico added, “My favorite approach is to hit hard on just a few channels, develop your voice, and add more as you go.”
8. Start creating and sharing shareable content.
Content developers and marketers should focus on topics and content that will not only appeal to their end customers, but be shared by them and their influencers. People typically share because they like something, they learned something, they were entertained and want to share the experience, they want a reaction or they want to use your expertise to validate their own opinions.
9. Optimize for search.
As one develops content, and writes new titles for videos, articles or photos, they should be mindful of the types of things their target buyers are searching for. The content developer should optimize the wording to pick up common search terms and phrases.
10. Stay on top of analytics and measure leads, sales and determine ROI.
Comparing analytics to inbound leads is the best way to determine what is working. Companies should look at which types of content are being shared most and determine if their efforts are leading to an increase in leads and/or sales.
“Content marketing involves trial and error but the key is to start somewhere, have a plan, measure results, do more of the things that work and stop doing the things that do not,” says Murdico.
TRO SMITH invites travel and hospitality companies, industry professionals and executives to visit TROSMITH.com to download the complete “10 Step Content Marketing Strategy for Startups and Brands” as well as many other useful articles to help boost social media efforts, and to become fans of the company’s Facebook page by visiting the following link and clicking “Like”: facebook.com/TROSMITHcom. Fans of the TRO SMITH page on Facebook get access to an array of exclusive content, giveaways, and offers.
About TRO SMITH
TRO SMITH is a new online destination and forum dedicated to providing travel and hospitality companies with insightful, high-quality information on the topic of social media marketing. The company launches with a built-in audience of 80,000 travel consultants in the US and Canada at travel agencies large and small as well as a database of more than 4,300 travel industry executives, all of whom have an interest in bettering their social media marketing efforts. For additional information about TRO SMITH, visit TROSMITH.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Marlene Oliver, NJC Communications, (305) 491-0512, moliver (at) njccorp.com
Marlene Oliver, NJC Communications, 305-491-0512, [email protected]
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