In the fast-paced world of content marketing, adaptability is often the key to success. Recently, I had a game-changing video call with a client that highlighted the importance of maintaining a flexible content marketing strategy for her business. A unique time in her business journey brought forth a need to deviate from the original plan and take a more dynamic approach to her email marketing and overall online presence.
Understanding the Seasonal Shift
Late spring felt good for this client, bringing in the desired revenue. However, as we ventured into the summer months, things started to feel a bit awkward. To address this challenge, we took a closer look at what had transpired during the spring season.
We delved into several critical aspects:
Content Strategy: How and how much content should be produced?
Exclusive Discounts: What percentage of discounts would resonate with the audience?
Holidays and Seasonality: How did the season affect the audience’s responsiveness?
Our analysis laid the groundwork for a new plan aimed at maintaining the momentum from spring while navigating the uncertainties of the summer season.
Embracing Flexibility to Drive Success
Rather than confining ourselves to a rigid content strategy, we opted to go with the flow. The objective was clear – to ensure that the client’s website content, email broadcasts, and social media posts continued to deliver results.
Our ultimate goal? To not only replicate the springtime revenue but also surpass it.
If you find yourself in a bit of a financial plateau, there are multiple ways you can reinvigorate your content marketing strategy. I’ll touch on three for now.
Keep in mind, my preference is to incorporate all three approaches at once. I believe this mix gives you room to stay flexible, creative, and strategic with your content marketing. Let’s take a quick look:
Meeting Content Quotas
To get yourself out of a content slump and start selling your offers consistently, you might consider content quotas. These could be weekly or monthly goals that define the number of posts you intend to share on each of your digital platforms.
The key is to show up consistently and maintain a strong online presence to engage with your audience.
Warning: If you sense that these content quotas might give you an excuse to just post – but not post well – then perhaps you should steer away from huge content quotas.
For example, if 7 TikToks and 7 Instagram posts per week sound magical, but it’s not realistic for your available time and energy, then you will undoubtedly end up sacrificing quality. Your messaging will be off-brand and you won’t be proud of the result (both artistically and financially).
On the flip side, once you evaluate your realistic posting schedule, let’s say 4 TikToks and 3 Instagram posts per week, you can make sure that each of these 7 posts represent your brand well and help you meet your revenue goals.
As you take the next step, it might be tempting to just do what seemingly “everyone else” is doing online…
Learning from Competitors Without Copying
While it’s tempting to replicate successful strategies used by competitors, it’s vital to differentiate between research and plagiarism. Copying someone else’s work not only hampers your creativity but also risks legal disputes.
Instead, view competitors’ content as inspiration, learning from their tactics and adapting them to create a unique message for your audience.
Keyword: “adapting.”
Although you’re pulling inspiration from someone else’s content format, you want to give yourself space to break some rules and create content that stands out from your industry peers. When you view your content marketing strategy as one big experiment, you allow yourself to have more fun with the creative process that ultimately leads to the substantial revenue you’ve been aiming for.
Analyzing and Enhancing Creativity
The real game-changer lies in analyzing your past metrics. Dive into Google Analytics and social media insights to uncover patterns and develop hypotheses about what engages your audience and drives conversions. However, don’t simply repeat past successes – add a creative and timely twist to keep your content fresh and appealing.
Even if this means deviating from your original monthly content plan, it’s worth it to reach the right audience effectively.
I guess our mantra for the day could be: “Be flexible, and stay true to your brand.”
Having a flexible content marketing strategy can lead to several benefits:
- Going live on social media even when it’s not in your plan can result in unexpected conversions.
- Generating more revenue during slow weeks.
- Gaining confidence in your ability to think creatively.
However, certain aspects of your content should remain consistent:
- Brand voice: Maintain a consistent tone and style in your messaging.
- Brand values: Align your content with your brand’s core values.
- Brand personality: Infuse your personality into your content, whether it’s through emails, blog posts, or social media posts.
For further guidance on staying true to your brand, explore the widely known 12 Brand Archetypes that can help establish and grow your online presence, ensuring that your brand remains true to its identity.
What We Covered
Adaptability is the cornerstone of successful content marketing. By embracing flexibility while staying true to your brand’s core elements, you can navigate through uncertain seasons and achieve remarkable results, just as my client did.
Remember, it’s not about rigidly adhering to a plan; it’s about holding yourself accountable and responding effectively to the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing.
Further Reading on KatQuintana.com: Excited to develop flexible content marketing strategy? Read these digital marketing blog posts for some extra guidance.
