I love this question.

I’ve been in content marketing for years and early in my career, I was always on the lookout for tips and guidance on how to approach. This question gives me an opportunity to share what I have learned during my years in this field.

1. Map out a clear content marketing strategy for your efforts

The importance of a content strategy for your marketing efforts is statistically supported. But even without the numbers backing it up, it just makes sense to approach this part of content marketing in an organized, systematic way.

With a content marketing strategy, your objectives are clear, which makes it easier to work towards achieving measurable goals. It also helps you understand what channels are best to achieve those goals. And more importantly, it gives you a clear idea of how you can measure your success.

2. Email is not dead—make this a priority

There are so many marketers today who keep saying that email is dead and that there are so many other ways to reach your customers.

On one hand, communication technology has indeed evolved so fast that we keep adding new touch points. However, email is still by far one of the most reliable ways to connect with people. Email is my direct and personal connection to my customers, and one of the best ways to nurture relationships and build loyalty.

True, we do have numerous alternative ways to connect these days, but ultimately, they are best as complementary communication efforts to email.

3. SEO is important but always prioritize content quality over search engines

Don’t get me wrong, SEO is important. It’s a critical part of ensuring your work is seen by the correct audience, but always remember that you’re creating content for real people—not algorithms. There’s no point in making sure you rank at the top of searches, only to have your intended audience bounce off your site when they realize your content doesn’t meet their needs and standards.

4. Get to know your audience

This is very important. The success of your content is hinged on how well you know your audience. A deep understanding of them is the best way to determine what material will resonate most, what content will prompt the highest engagement, what will help build loyalty, and how you can add value to their lives so they are encouraged to keep coming back to your site.

5. Keep track of everything with an editorial calendar

It’s not easy to keep track of the content you’re producing, so I’ve always been a big proponent of laying everything out in an organized way. Editorial calendars are great tools that help you keep track of the content you’re publishing and minimize the possibility of getting overwhelmed. If you’re working with a team, it’s a great way to keep track of who’s responsible for what, what material is next in the pipeline, and what topics have already been tackled.

Hope my answers help! If you want to learn more or have questions, feel free to join the conversation on LinkedIn or Twitter or leave a comment below.