Why the Most Successful Content Marketing Campaigns Are Flexible
Summary – Learn about the pros and cons of different content marketing strategies and discover which one is best for your brand in this article by TechInformed.
In these uncertain times, it helps to have a plan. Careful preparation for the weeks and months ahead enables marketing teams to build more effective and strategic campaigns. Yet, too often, tech marketers don’t give themselves enough breathing space for spontaneity.
In this article, we’re looking at why some of the most successful content marketing campaigns are flexible (not fixed) and how you can embrace a more in-touch ad hoc content marketing strategy. Read on to learn more.
What options do you have when building a content marketing strategy?
Creating a killer content marketing strategy requires holistic thinking over many different moving parts. Who is your target audience? What are your content goals? What channels will you use?
Content strategies can range from ‘fixed’ to ‘flexible’. A ‘fixed’ approach determines most or all of your content, ads, budget spend and distribution channels in advance while a ‘flexible’ approach allows for a little more freedom.
Instances where forward planning will need to be actioned include building a content calendar to establish what should be posted and when, organising brand partnerships, and choosing the right tools and channels to meet the needs of your customers. For example, your target audience could be B2B tech companies, so you decide in advance that you need to target them on LinkedIn and in tech publications using long-form content.
However, while planning is an essential part of any successful marketing strategy, there’s still an overarching requirement for flexibility. Marketers should keep an eye on how content is performing, and optimise the strategy if it’s not having the desired results. Using analytics tools can help marketing teams measure content performance and adjust content plans accordingly.
It’s also important for marketers to adapt content in line with current events, with 49% of marketers increasing their investment in relatable content. Read on to discover which content marketing strategy could be best for your business.
Which content market strategy is best for you?
Benefits of a fixed marketing plan:
- Lays the groundwork: Marketers can create and disseminate marketing flagship materials, in some cases up to weeks or months ahead.
- Partnerships and guest appearances: Guaranteed attendance at events, podcast recordings as well as featured spots in industry publications.
- Test and learn: Experiment with new ideas more effectively by making small changes and gathering feedback.
- Consistency: Ensures that the business’s message is consistent across all channels and platforms, building brand recognition and brand identity.
- Clear objectives: A fixed marketing plan can provide clear objectives for the business to work towards together.
Cons of a fixed marketing plan:
- Lack of adaptability: A fixed marketing strategy may not account for unexpected changes in the market, such as changes in consumer behaviour, world events or industry trends.
- Missed opportunities: Marketers could miss new and emerging opportunities such as new social media platforms or advertising channels that could be effective for the business.
- Poor ROI: Because a ‘fixed’ strategy doesn’t account for changes in the market or consumer behaviour, this can result in wasted resources and lost revenue.
- Hindered innovation: Creativity and innovation could be hindered as a fixed approach doesn’t always allow for new ideas in the middle of a campaign.
Adopting a more flexible approach to content marketing is vital to long-term success and ensuring that content resonates with your audience. For example, marketers can:
- Adjust ad spend or activity on different distribution platforms to follow customers’ behavioural trends.
- Generate more topical and innovative content more effectively and ensure the brand stays relevant to its target audience.
- Support wider business goals and focus on building brand awareness and generating leads as needed.
That said, a minimum level of planning is required for any successful content marketing strategy. As such, a fixed short-to-medium-term marketing strategy with ‘pockets’ of flexibility long-term is the most effective approach to engaging your target audience. Marketers can also re-use existing assets for maximum ROI and fill any gaps in their strategy – otherwise known as content syndication.
Examples of fixed versus flexible content marketing strategies
The content marketing strategies opted for by brands differ depending on factors such as reach, audience and content goals.
Apple is one of the world’s most recognisable brands with a strong identity that is based on simplicity and minimalism. Their marketing strategies tend to be more ‘fixed’ and direct, with a focus on highlighting the core features and benefits of their products in a straightforward and easy-to-understand manner. They rarely jump on the hype of trending topics, instead focusing solely on their products and services. A prime example is their early ‘Get a Mac’ campaign which used simple language and a no-fluff approach to establish themselves as trailblazers of the tech industry.
Meanwhile, MailChimp takes a much more innovative and flexible approach to content marketing, which has helped to to set themselves apart from their competitors in the increasingly saturated marketing automation industry. They produce fun and topical content for their customers, in line with their quirky brand image. Their Twitter account features comments on the latest trends and world events, while their podcast sees them stay up-to-date on popular culture to connect with their target audience.
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