Save Time (and Effort) with a Content Marketing Plan

When I first started blogging, I saw it as one more form of marketing '" which it was '" that had to be added to the growing list of other tools I had implemented. I saw it as one more thing I had to create in addition to networking online in groups and forums, posting on social media sites, writing articles, and marketing via email. I knew it was important, but I saw it as additional work. That is, until I discovered how to create a content marketing plan.

Online marketing research has proven that what draws potential clients is compelling content that will improve their lives. Content that will help them solve a problem or fill a need. And by providing information that is useful and valuable, we not only position ourselves as authorities within our market, but we also engage in one of the greatest methods for attracting clients.

Content marketing is focused on getting clients to seek you out and invite you to interact with them, to converse with them. But it doesn't stop there. Potential clients want to do business with those they trust, so it's also about building relationships while providing something of value.

How do you know you're providing value? By putting yourself in your potential clients' shoes and identify the many ways you can make their lives better. By seeking to understand exactly what their needs and wants are and finding ways to meet those needs each time you interact with them.

Now, this can sound like a big challenge. If you're like I was, back when I first started blogging, you may be wondering, when will I find the time to do all of this interacting and create all of this content?? Well, I will share with you the valuable secret I learned -- how to create a Content Marketing Plan. It will save you valuable time and effort.

With a Content Marketing Play, you create one piece of content, one 500-word article, and then re-purpose it in multiple ways. You develop a plan that takes this one article and adapts parts of it to be used in your current marketing venues.

Let me show you how it works. From your initial 500-word article, you can create one blog post, create five or six tweets for Twitter, four Facebook status updates, four forum or networking group updates, one online article submission, and one newsletter article. It would look something like this:

500-word Article
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Blog Post
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Twitter (five tweets)
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Facebook (four updates)
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Forum/Group (four updates)
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Online Article (five sites)
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Newsletter/Ezine Article

To make this successful, you would need to organize the legs of your content marketing plan to fit the publishing schedules and timelines for each one. Also, setting aside a specific block of time each week to write your content will help you stay on track and ensure you have the time to implement this strategy. Schedule it on your calendar so you commit to it.

I challenge you to create your content marketing plan today. Write a 500-word article that your target market would find appealing. Then, create your content marketing plan around that article using the marketing medias you already employ. Once you get comfortable with it, you will use this strategy for each piece of content you write, and in turn, you will be able to save time and effort while reaching a greater number of people in your target market.