How to Create a Comprehensive Checklist to Maximize Reach in Content Marketing

This Post is about the tactical steps for marketing content (I'll include some call outs to tools I use that help me with these tasks). Sometimes our processes can get pretty complicated, Checklist help ensure we don't miss any steps. Creating great content is just he beginning. Next you have to get it out there with the tracking so you can understand what works, where, when and for whom.

Inbound Marketing and Testing

If this isn't planned and setup properly, it will hurt your ability to report on your Content the way you want. As a general approach, I advocate for having your content live on your website. Email, social posts, forums posts, etc are all channels to extend your reach... pulling the visitors back to the content on your website (rather than where the content is actually house). Think of is like an alert about new content... the message needs enough to wet the appetite to click through to the main entrée (on your website). Having the content on your website has a number of benefits. More detailed tracking data. You create/reinforce a habit/association of valuable content with site and brand and that they should return routinely. You also have them remember your domain seeing it receptively. While on your site there is so much more you can do dynamically with recommendations on additional content suggestions etc... enhancing their experience and keeping them engaged.

1. Extend your reach

   1. Deploy your messages where your audience is (start with platforms and sites in the professional context)

      1. You may want to extent to where your audience can be found in their down time but expect that conversion rates there will be lower. Know there is a delicate balance here, some people see their professional lives very separate from their personal lives and may see this as aggressive or intrusive… others see all aspect of their lives intermingled... testing is the best way to see what works and is worth the investment (LinkedIn, X.com, Facebook, Instagram, TicTok, YouTube shorts, ads)

2. Test your messaging

   1. create post variations for promotion in social post

      1. Text variations - short description akin to a long title. Aim for > 70 characters. I usually have 7, which is enough for daily posts that span a week. Keep in any character limitation each platform may have

      2. Image variations - you will need thumbnails for your post variations and for platforms like Instagram you will want to have eye catching visuals or animation. Visual content is powerful when it comes to capturing attention. Create visually appealing graphics or videos to share on platforms like Instagram or YouTube, promoting your webinar. Infographics, short clips, or sneak peeks can generate excitement and intrigue

      3. Insert hashtags that are related to your topic (these may vary by social platform)

      4. Platforms have their own etiquette, which drives how many tests you run in a give amount of time (i.e. 7 days). Generally on long-form the platforms users expect more unique posts vs repetitive posts (by the same author). Shouldn't post many variation on LinkedIn for the same content on LinkedIn but that is totally fine on X (formerly Twitter)... so it may be best starting with short form tests

   2. Generate UTM Links for each variation to track effectiveness of each (i.e. UTM.io)

      1. For details on how to setup UTMs, see my article on Mastering the UTM Framework: Tips and Strategies for Optimizing Marketing Campaign Data

   3. Scheduling all your variations on a social management platform to automate the process(i.e. Later.com)

   4. Amplify each test post by having your team commenting and reposting

3. Review the performance of each test post (pairing of text and imagery)

   1. Use the winner on the long form social sites etc (could also use for outbound emails, 1:1 communications, and an alternate content page with winning words in page name as it may help with SEO etc)

Outbound

1. Email - leverage the winning text and imagery as a start for an email for your target audience in your Database… may need multiple emails to speak to each persona

   1. like with the test post... create a set of UTMs to track

2. Have your outbound team message target social connections with a personal message based on the winning text/imagery... this should be used sparingly as you don't want them to seem intrusive

   1. you may wan to setup a special UTM to track this initiative

3. Call VIPs that would be interest in this content with a personal message about why they might be interested and ask if you can send them this content (leverage the email content from above

   1. you may wan to setup a special UTM to track this initiative
      

TIP: Maximizing effectiveness with supporting materials

1. Remember to update pages of related content to also link to this new content

2. Promote this content on your user community

3. Promote this internally as well so other team know what new content will be going out and how they might leverage it in Marketing / Sales / Customer Experience

Share tips on things that you have part of your process in the comment section below.