target audience . For example , if your target audience is university students doing an undergraduate program , then using one student would not be enough to depict a typical customer .
A better way would be to gather research on various university students and consolidate this information into a composite persona . Therefore , the word fictional is used , because it is a mix of insights and research and does not represent an actual specific human being .
Once you have ascertained the target audience and created a persona , you will have all the information needed to choose your distribution channels . What social media platforms do university students most use ? Ensure your content is available to them on their choice of platform .
Another way of understanding your persona is to collect information about your target audience from different sources like social media pages , current existing sales data or information from customer relationship management systems . This can help build a persona picture even further . Give the persona a name , and give the persona a seat at the table when planning your strategy . That way , everything you do is designed with the customer in mind .
Now some marketers go with the school of thought that you should be on every single social media platform . The more the merrier ? If you have several target audience segments , and your goal is to reach all of them , then perhaps it may work . Is this the spray and pray approach ?
The basic principles will not change . Each target segment already has a content consumption pattern that needs to be outlined . Content is then distributed accordingly . But if you have not spent time thinking through this , then you will resort to being on random platforms without a clear content strategy . With limited marketing budgets , this could affect overall profitability .
Another key word captured in the CMI definition of content marketing is the aspect of consistency . Consistency is the ability to do something in an organized manner and to apply a certain level of frequency to the action . In the context of content marketing , consistency is needed in creation of content and in distribution of content . This means there is need for dedicated human resource to do both .
As highlighted earlier , generative AI tools are available to assist with creating content and tools like content schedulers eg Hootsuite or Buffer are available to help with scheduling and distribution . Ad space purchases can also be simplified by using inbuilt tools in various social media platforms eg Facebook Ads manager . Content should remain fresh . No audience is excited by the same content posted on different platforms .
In the words of Seth Godin , a well-known marketing expert , “ Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make , but about the stories you tell .”
Watch out for part 2 of this narrative where we shall be discussing creating a content marketing strategy .
Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia is a marketing professional with over 25 years ’ experience in corporate and academia . She is also a Certified Executive Coach specializing in Career and Leadership Coaching . You can reach her via mail at : mycoach @ thrityengineer . org