As a fractional CFO, content marketing can be a powerful tool to build brand awareness, engage with potential clients, and drive business growth. However, to be successful in content marketing, it's essential to have a solid strategy and understanding of best practices.
In this article, we'll discuss the top 7 tips that fractional CFOs need to know about content marketing, including creating a content plan, defining your target audience, and measuring your results through analytics.
Consistency is vital in content marketing regardless of the niche you belong to. To maintain consistency in your content marketing, consider creating a content calendar and sticking to it. A good example is posting to all your media channels, such as LinkedIn, at least six days a week. This will help you stay on track and consistently provide valuable content to your target audience while staying top of mind with your community.
Remember, it's crucial to remain consistent in your content creation and distribution if you want to build an audience or establish a strong reputation as a fractional CFO. Consistency is key in gaining and retaining the attention and trust of your target audience.
After achieving consistency in your content marketing, the next step is to find your primary and secondary channels. Your primary channel is the platform where your target audience is most active. This could be a social media platform or social networking site where your ideal customer profile (ICP) of clients, prospects, and partners mainly engage.
For instance, if your target audience consists of CEOs and business-related people, LinkedIn would be the perfect primary channel for you. On the other hand, if you are targeting millennials, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok could be the best primary channel.
Your secondary channel is like "a land you are expanding into ."They are social media and networking platforms where you should also share your content. This will help you expand your reach and tap into new potential customers. However, focus on your primary channel and give it the most attention.
By finding and utilizing your primary and secondary channels, you can make the most out of your content marketing efforts and effectively reach your target audience where they are most active. Remember, it's essential to be where your customers are, and by leveraging the proper channels, you can enhance your brand's visibility and improve engagement.
Authenticity is a crucial factor when it comes to content marketing. As a fractional CFO, ensuring that your content is genuine and not created solely to get likes, comments, or SEO optimization is essential. In other words, don't put out clickbait content to drive traffic or engagement.
Instead, focus on creating authentic content that resonates with your target audience. Share your own experiences and insights to provide value to your readers. This will help you build trust and credibility with your audience, which is essential for building long-term relationships.
Lastly, avoid stealing content from other sources. Always give credit where it's due and create your original content. This will help you maintain your authenticity and avoid damaging your reputation.
Keeping track of your metrics is a crucial aspect of content marketing. However, it's important to note that your numbers should not be solely about likes, comments, reposts, or subscribers. These numbers can be misleading and don't necessarily reflect the impact of your content.
Instead of comparing your numbers to others, as this can lead to discouragement, it's important to track your metrics by comparing your content over time. As a fractional CFO in content marketing, you should focus on comparing the performance of your content from previous weeks or months to see the progress you've made.
To do this effectively:
You could use analytic tools such as Google Analytics to make tracking your metrics easier. These tools can provide valuable insights into your audience, their behavior, and your content's performance. By keeping track of your metrics and using this data to make informed decisions, you can improve your content and achieve better results in the long run.
Creating content that scales is essential for the success of your content marketing efforts as a fractional CFO. A well-written piece of content starts with a catchy title that hooks your readers' attention without resorting to clickbait. You can use a headline analyzer to help you develop a title that's both attention-grabbing and accurately represents the content.
When creating a written piece, start with an introductory paragraph that captures the essence of the content in two to four lines. Following this, include key takeaways to help your readers know what they can expect from the piece. This will also help them skim through the content and quickly find relevant information.
To engage your readers further, consider including interactive elements such as questions or polls encouraging them to participate. This helps to foster a sense of community and encourages your readers to share their perspectives.
Finally, wrap up the content with a summary that recaps your key points. End with a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages your readers to take a desired action, such as subscribing to your newsletter or following you on social media.
Engaging in your community is an important aspect of content marketing as a fractional CFO. By interacting with people in your community, you can establish a deeper connection with your target audience and build brand loyalty.
One way to engage with your community is to interact with their content. If someone shares a post related to finance, take the time to read it and leave a thoughtful comment or insight. This shows that you are interested in their work and care about what they have to say. Additionally, it can help spark a conversation and encourage others to engage with you.
Another way to engage with your community is to share additional insights or resources relevant to their interests. If you come across an article, podcast, or webinar that your audience may find useful, share it with them on your social media channels or in a blog post. This helps to position you as a thought leader and shows that you are always looking for ways to add value to your audience.
Finally, make sure to respond to any comments or messages you receive from your community. This shows that you value their feedback and are committed to building a relationship with them. Whether it's answering a question, thanking someone for their support, or simply acknowledging their message, taking the time to respond can go a long way in building trust and loyalty with your audience.
Content pillars are the different themes or topics relevant to your industry, expertise, and target audience. Knowing this is essential for creating a successful content marketing strategy as a fractional CFO.
To determine your content pillars, start by thinking about what you have lived, breathed, and experienced in your career as a fractional CFO. This may include topics such as financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and more.
Once you have identified your content pillars, you can create content that focuses on each theme. For example, you might write a blog post about the importance of risk management for small businesses or create a video series on how to create a successful financial strategy.
Focusing on your content pillars ensures that your content is always relevant and valuable to your target audience. Additionally, having a clear set of content pillars can help you to stay organized and focused in your content creation efforts, making it easier to develop a consistent and effective content marketing strategy.
Content marketing as a fractional CFO is a marathon, not a sprint. Being strategic and adaptable to change is crucial for success. While maintaining consistency is important, transitioning around content pillars should be done with caution. Setting clear goals, milestones, and metrics will help measure the impact of your content and drive better results over time.
Another bonus tip for fractional CFOs in content marketing is A/B testing. It involves creating two or more versions of a piece of content and comparing their performance to determine what resonates with your audience. A/B testing can help inform your content strategy, but it should be done consistently and with clear metrics to ensure meaningful and actionable results.
Content marketing is essential to any business's growth strategy, and fractional CFOs can play a crucial role in driving success in this area. By implementing the top 7 tips highlighted in the article, fractional CFOs can help businesses create compelling content that resonates with their target audience, builds brand awareness, and generates leads.
Fresh FP&A is an excellent choice for businesses looking for a top-notch fractional CFO. Fresh FP&A is a problem solver with years of experience in financial planning and analysis; Fresh FP&A can help businesses drive sustainable growth. So, consider partnering with Fresh FP&A for expert financial guidance and support if you want to restructure and scale your finance operation.
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