Your marketing content could use some work

That’s not a criticism; it’s a statement of fact. Fortunately, it’s one you can definitely do something about. Start with these six must-follow tips for marketers bent on continuous improvement.

1. Ask Questions Even When You Know the Answers

Be inquisitive! Your audience certainly is, or else why would they be investigating your company? Social media engagement thrives on pointed questions.

2. Maintain an Active, Engaging LinkedIn Profile

This tip isn’t so much content-specific as it is venue-specific, the venue being the world’s top social network for professionals and enterprises. Follow established LinkedIn marketing practices to create an active, engaging LinkedIn profile. Need help? You can get some ideas by visiting companies with stellar profiles, such as this one created by Freeway Insurance. A well-structured profile can attract high-value prospects and reward your efforts with quality, decision-oriented engagement.

3. Tip Your Hat Liberally, But Don’t Rip Anyone Off

Imitation is the best form of flattery, they say. What they don’t bother to mention is that there’s a very fine line between the legitimate imitation and the uninspired derivative. Or, worse yet, the out-and-out ripoff. Steer well clear of that line and remember to attribute claims or phrases found elsewhere.

While we’re on the subject of attribution, every marketer needs to understand a very different type: attributing every click and view to a legitimate source. This BazaarVoice post gives a great overview of data-driven marketing attribution best practices.

4. Tailor Each Piece of Content to a Specific Location on the Buyer’s Journey

The buyer’s journey has three stages: Awareness, Consideration, and Decision. The reality is even more nuanced than that, with multiple positions for each stage and a huge number of possible sidetracks. Overwhelming as it sounds, each piece of marketing content must apply to a specific location on your company’s unique buyer’s journey.

5. Have the Rough Outlines of Your Audience in Mind

Even that’s not enough. Not only must your marketing content apply to a specific part of your company’s buyer’s journey, it must also speak to the specific type of customer you’re targeting. These types, known as “customer personas,” are the heart and soul of effective marketing. If you’re not familiar, refer to Gary Nealon’s guide to identifying customer personas.

6. Always Use Target Keywords

Contrary to popular belief, not every piece of marketing content needs to be optimized for search. The rules of SEO don’t really apply to banner ads and paid search content, to cite just two examples: the former because the format doesn’t allow it and the latter because of the whole “paid” thing.

Nevertheless, even in content that doesn’t strictly need to be optimized, keywords matter for preserving the subtle and probably unconscious associations you hope your prospects make when they see your marketing copy.

Market Like Your Business Depends on It

Because, let’s face it, your business does depend on your ability to market it. You can technically afford to miss the chance to convert a prospect, but why should you settle for anything less than a perfect record? You’re a worthier competitor than that.

It’s high time your actual competitors took notice. So dispense with the excuses and kick your marketing plan into high gear with these results-oriented strategies. No one’s gonna do it for you.