"I have no idea what to post on social media!” If I have heard that once, I have heard it a thousand times. The number one reason businesses stop using content as a marketing tool is they simply run out of ideas. How many blogs can you write about your services before you are out of things to say? How many social media posts can you use to hype your products before you come to the end of your line? The result is that a very good tool for reaching masses of people goes unused for lack of ideas.

There are five steps that will help you create effective content marketing for your business. If you use these, you will find that you not only have great content, but you will be much more effective in reaching your targeted audience.

Set a goal

It you don’t know what you are shooting at, you will be sure to miss. Make sure you know what you are trying to accomplish by posting content on your website and social media. Be specific with this. For instance, you may want to get more people to your website, so you write a blog. But what action do you want them to take when they read your blog? Make that the goal. Make sure you have the analytics to measure your success on this.

Make a plan

Most big tasks bog down without a plan. I would encourage you to sit down with people who understand what you are trying to accomplish with your goals and plan how you will make this happen. Be strategic about this. What do we need to say? How often do we need to say it? Along with the plan, make a schedule. Take a look at the calendar for the next year. Are there times that would work well for you to engage with your target market? There are holidays and seasons that lend themselves well to promotion. Can you tie your brand to these and gain notoriety for your business? Are there events that happen in your industry? Are there cycles where one product will be in season and another is not? Use all of this information in creating your plan of action.

Understand your market

There are two things you should understand about the people who make up your target market: what do they like and what do they dislike? Playing to what they get excited about will help you engage with them. However, everyone has a line that should not be crossed. Get to know your customers. Become a student of what they are thinking. Build content around their desires.

Variety

There is a lot that is written about content management. The truth is, everyone will tire of your content if it is the same thing all the time. For instance, if all you post is photos of your employees on their birthday, eventually your customers will grow weary of seeing another guy with a cake wearing a silly pointed hat strapped to his head. So what should you be posting? Here are three ideas that can rotate through your schedule. First, post interesting industry thought material. Show your expertise as a leader in your field. Talk about the points that would get the attention of someone in your field. Next, go a different direction and post material that shows a human touch (i.e. your employee of the month, philanthropic endeavors, photos of the company picnic, etc.) Finally, post content that promotes your brand. Understand this is not an advertisement, but it is a statement about your company – this what we stand for. If you rotate these three ideas through your content, you will be able to keep your followers engaged.

Be creative

Anything can grow stale. Make sure you are mixing imagery such as graphics, videos, charts, etc., in with your written content. Don’t be afraid to step outside of the norms every now and then. Sometimes a simple photo can speak more than volumes of words. The best content is that which gets the point across immediately.

Content marketing is a great tool if you use it correctly. Don’t let the task scare you into complacency. Set a goal, make a plan, understand your market, use variety and a little creativity. It will work wonders for your marketing.