How to Set Relevant Content Marketing Objectives for Business Leaders

Have you ever heard a salesperson or a business executive dismiss content marketing as "arts and crafts" or question its relevance in the marketplace? You aren't the first one to think about this.

How can content marketing and business objectives be more closely aligned?

If we aren't setting (and achieving) targets that matter to business leaders, we may have ourselves to blame. Instead of thinking of brand recognition as THE target, consider it as a step toward achieving a business goal. What is the aim of content marketing in terms of business? To elicit profitable conduct. There's a bang. The objective has been identified. My work here is over. Choose targets that support all of those three items, and you should have no trouble explaining how content marketing helped the company achieve its objectives.

The foundation of content marketing is building a subscribing audience. Subscribers grant you permission to contact them on a regular basis. That gives you permission to market to them subtly while providing them with value that isn't related to your company's products or services. In reality, according to CMI Chief Strategy Advisor Robert Rose, the audience is the business asset provided by content marketing, not the content. Measure improvement by the number of subscribers to an owned channel (email newsletters, blog updates, magazines, podcasts, and so on) or the subscriber conversion rate relative to the general audience conversion rate.

By signing up for a trial, registering for an exhibition, or requesting access to a resource center, great content will inspire customers to become prospects. (In some companies, a lead is referred to as a contact.) Leads, unlike subscribers, have more information than just an email address. They exchange more personal information because the material is valuable to them.

Though many people think of content marketing as a top-of-funnel tactic, it can also be used to strengthen a customer's decision after they've made a purchase. How-to and activation material will help ensure that the consumer gets the most out of their purchase and is more likely to buy again. Do your content marketing program a favor by using whatever system you choose. Set a high bar for yourself by tying your goals to a business result. Then speak about those priorities in ways that will pique the executives' interest.