You can read part one of this series here.
DO: Guest blog A good content marketing strategy will encourage link building and sharing, as well as aim to build strong industry relationships and kudos. One way this is achieved is though recruiting guest bloggers or by contributing to other blogging sites.
DO: Share your marketing content Content marketers should try to think outside the box when it comes to broadcasting content. As well as the usual social channels, i.e. Twitter or facebook, look to incorporate other platforms like Reddit, Delicious, or related industry blogs or sites. In terms of tying this into a content marketing strategy, a weekly or monthly email digest is also a great and effective idea for content marketers to consider.
DO: Research before you write It goes without saying all marketing content should be based on research, such as industry sites, recent stats or even other blogs. The old adage 'write what you know' still holds but as companies try to branch out and produce new content, this obviously isn't always possible. Be sure to verify what you writing and always try to reference where you're getting your information- this is also great for link building and encouraging healthy site traffic.
DON'T: Sound like everybody else As part of your wider marketing strategy, your content should reflect your corporate tone and objectives all the while standing out from your competitors: otherwise, what do you have to offer that's unique? Try to avoid using industry cliches, jumping on content bandwagons or producing content that's obviously similar to that of your competitors.
DO: Go multimedia Varying your marketing content between different media, i.e. video, stats and figures, comment pieces, 'how to's, lists and images makes for a more interesting read and engages your audience. It's also likely to stimulate different types -and overall greater- traffic as the different channels draw in different kinds of audiences.
DO: Experiment with structure Bullet points, lists and sub-heading can go a long way in breaking up content but try get creative with your content marketing strategy formatting. A reader should know what they're in for before they've even read the first line. Formatting goes a long way in aiding that. Exciting visual imagery helps to break up long text but try to avoid getting all Tolstoy. Breaking articles into episodes, like we have here, also helps.
