Ask Yourself Three Questions When Creating Content for Inbound Marketing

Approximately 300 hours of new videos are uploaded to YouTube every minute. (Source) (Click to Tweet)

More than 2 million new blog posts are published every day. (Source)

How do you keep your digital marketing content—blog posts, case studies, videos, infographics, or downloadable resources—from getting lost in the mix?

By emphasizing quality over quantity, and ensuring your content is useful and usable. Much of the proliferation of online content today is material that is being created “just because we can” or because “someone said we should” without much thought into WHY it is being created or WHO it is being created for.

Set yourself apart by knowing those answers, and more.

As you create content, ask yourself three questions:

• Does it offer a solution to a problem?

• Does it provide resources needed to implement the solution?

• Is it more informative than promotional?

If you can answer yes, then you are creating useful, usable content.

Check how your content meets the other criteria for quality content with our Content Quality Report Card. Download it now.

Does your inbound marketing content offer a solution to a problem?

The reasoning behind this principle of content creation is two-fold: search optimization and lead generation.

Your potential customers won’t usually come to the internet seeking your company and your products or services. They come with a problem.

They won’t likely type into their search engine the name of your product. They might not even search for a specific product or service type. Instead, they may start their search with “how to.” How to fix a leaky faucet. How to save money on travel. How to choose an accountant.

They have a problem, and they are looking for a solution.

Your job is to create content that helps them solve their problem—and not simply by selling them something.

If you have a plumbing company (or a plumbing supplies store), create a video showing how to fix that faucet. If you provide clear instructions, they may come back to you when the next project is beyond their capabilities because they trust the information you provided.

A travel agent can create an infographic with tips on saving money while traveling. An accounting firm could develop a checklist of criteria small businesses should consider when choosing a CPA.

Create content that solves your customers’ small problems, and they will be more likely to turn to you when it is time to solve their bigger problems.

Plus, the landing page form they filled out to subscribe to your video channel or download your checklist has converted them from a website visitor into a lead.

Does your inbound marketing content provide resources needed to implement the solution?

Take your website content beyond simple introductory material to provide additional resources needed. Develop online calculators and other tools such as maps that help your leads put into action the solutions you have suggested in your content.

Provide links to additional information. This could include linking to other authoritative sites or using lead nurturing to offer more in-depth materials from your own resources and guide your prospects closer toward a sale.

Is your inbound marketing content more informative than promotional?

We’ve talked about how this concept relates to your blog posts (Find the Blogging Balance That is Just Right), and it applies to your other content as well. Make the focus of anything you create on the information that your prospect or lead can use, rather than your own company.

The exception is for content intended for use closer to the bottom of the sales funnel when leads have begun to indicate they ready to consider their options. Here’s a look at how lead nurturing works.

Being useful, or useable, is just one of five criteria for creating great content outlined in our Content Quality Report Card. Download it now to use as a reminder and checklist for your next marketing content creation project.