How to Implement a Content Marketing Strategy for Your Pool Business

In 2014, there were more than 200 million active websites on the Internet. And that number just keeps going up.

How can you stand out from the crowd and get your website noticed?

One of the most effective ways to make this happen is through content marketing. But if you’re like most pool businesses, it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you implement a successful content marketing strategy that will grow your business.

Read on to learn more!

What Does a Content Marketing Strategy Look Like?

Let’s start with the basics. What exactly is a content strategy?

Basically, it refers to the management of any tangible media that your business creates and owns, including written or visual media.

In other words, it’s planning and executing the creation and distribution of information about your company.

But before you start writing content, remember that everything you create needs to have a thought-through purpose. Always consider these things when developing your strategy for any content piece:

• Who is your target audience?
• What problem will it solve for them?
• How will this stand out or be unique?
• What format will it be in?
• Which channels will be used for distribution?
• How will you go about scheduling and overseeing its creation and publication?

Why Is a Content Marketing Strategy Important?

Content marketing is important because it’s a way to receive reliable and cost-effective site traffic and leads.

For example, one downloadable ebook or whitepaper on your site could generate leads for a long time. One effective blog post could bring steady organic traffic to your site for months or years if it ranks well on Google.

In other words, a strong content marketing strategy will produce a great ROI.

Content marketing is also great because it also educates your target market and creates a stronger brand awareness throughout your industry.

Now, let’s get to the details of how you can create your own content marketing plan.

Outline Your Goal

What are the goals of your marketing efforts? Do you want more leads, an increase in online sales, or a higher number of calls to your sales team?

If you know your ultimate business goal, it will be easier to start planning your content strategy. This will also help you determine which types of content will work best for your company.

Research Your Target Audience

Who is your ideal customer? What’s their age, what are their interests, and what are their goals when it comes to working with you?

Another name for your target audience is a buyer persona.

Going through this process is especially key for those new to marketing. But even if you’ve gone through target audience research previously, this is still a great exercise.

How come? Well think about these questions:

• Has your target audience changed?
• Do you want to expand it or target a different group?
• Or do you want to keep your current target market as is?

Going through this process will help you have a clear path for your content marketing.

Do a Content Audit

If you have produced content in the past, the next step is to run a content audit. Go through all the content you’ve created in the last year or two and review the results of each piece.

See how your blog posts are ranking. If you have Google Analytics connected to your website, use these tools to determine which blog posts bring in the most traffic to your site.

Then, pinpoint what you want to do better this year and set goals accordingly.

Choose a Content Management System (CMS)

It’s critical that as you begin implementing a content marketing strategy, you have a system where you can manage all of your content. This is called a content management system or a CMS.

Depending on where your website is built, you may already have access to a CMS.

For example, if you use WordPress for your site, they have one built-in. Other popular tools include HubSpot, ExpressionEngine, and Ghost.

At the end of the day, the most important factor in choosing a CMS is that it allows you to publish your content, edit it, and then analyze it.

Brainstorm and Create Content

Now for the fun part: developing and creating your content!

First, you need to come up with content ideas.

There are a lot of online tools out there that can help you do this, letting you discover trendy content ideas that would be popular in your industry.

You want to be writing and creating content that people are looking for. Use BuzzSumo, Feedly, or ContentForest – just to name a few.

Next, it’s time to create. Blog posts are the bread and butter of content marketing, so that’s a great place to start. But there are so many other options as well, including:

Infographics: A great way to visualize text and data in a more interesting way and perfect for social media sharing

Ebooks: Give for free in exchange for an email address or phone number that you can contact later

Videos: Either live or with motion graphics, videos are wonderful. Visual content is 40 times more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content

Podcasts: Easier to create than video, podcasts are a fantastic way to reach those who prefer listening to reading

Last but Not Least: Publish and Manage

Now that you have all these content ideas, create an editorial calendar. This will help keep you on a schedule. Then make a social media content calendar that outlines how you will share your content.

Pay attention to how your content performs.

What gets the most attention? What generates the most leads or sales? What has the best click-through rates? These questions are essential.

Get Expert Help

Well, there you have it – a detailed guide on how to implement a content marketing strategy for your pool business.

Now it’s time to get started!

If you have other marketing questions, we’re here to help! Schedule a free 15-minute consultation or contact us today!