Here’s how the steps to creating that perfect turkey day are a lot like planning and implementing a successful content marketing plan.

1. 6 ways content marketing
is like hosting
Thanksgiving dinner
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2. Ahh, Thanksgiving.
It’s a relaxing day filled with food, family and
football, right?
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3. Unless you’re hosting. Then, if you’re not prepared, it can
be a crazy day spent trying to be an outstanding hostess
while not overcooking the turkey or burning the green
bean casserole.
Here’s how the steps to creating that perfect turkey day
are a lot like planning and implementing a successful
content marketing plan.
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4. First, you have to plan
your menu.
Before you can do anything
else, you have to determine
what’s on the menu.
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5. A blog, Facebook page and website might seem like the
turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing of the content
marketing world because it seems like everyone expects
them to be part of the menu.
But it’s still important to consider your audience. Just
like you wouldn’t cook a gigantic turkey for a room full of
vegetarians, you should carefully consider your strategy to
be sure you’re reaching your audience and delivering
what they want.
Read more about how to develop an effective content
marketing strategy here.
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6. Then, you’ve got to invite your guests.
If you don’t ask people to come to the
table, they won’t be knocking on
your door.
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7. You’ve planned your menu and have some amazing treats
lined up that you know everyone will love. Now you need
to invite your guests.
Even the most stellar content isn’t worth much if no one
knows it’s there—you need to promote it.
Learn more about how to spread the word here.
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8. Now it’s time to get cooking.
All that planning is no good if you don’t start whipping up some tasty
concoctions.
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9. A good content marketing plan is a balancing act. You
need to have something on each burner and two things in
the oven in order to create a consistent effort. One video,
blog post or ebook is great, but it’s not enough for your
audience to fill up on. Keep the content coming so that if
your audience wants seconds, you’re prepared.
If you’re stumped on what to write about, check out these
20 best content marketing writing prompts here.
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10. Set a festive table.
Consider the presentation.With content, as with
food, presentation is key.
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11. Content is much more appetizing when it’s delivered in a
way that’s visually appealing. If you’re creating a
SlideShare presentation, jazz up the cover. Setting up your
blog? Get a graphic designer to create a custom look for
you.
Most people are visual learners, so use graphics to
support the content you create. Not only will this make the
content easier to consume, but it will appear more
professional as well.
Learn more about the impact of visual content marketing
here.
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12. Now gauge the reaction.
No one liked that
Tofurkey? Don’t make it
again next year.
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13. Check those metrics! Monitor your engagement and
review your site stats to find out what worked best. Learn
what was well received and what wasn’t in order to serve
up exactly what your audience likes best.
Read up on the four metrics content marketers should be
measuring here.
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14. Finally, enjoy your leftovers.
Just like that leftover turkey can
become sandwiches and soup to
be enjoyed for days to come, your
content can be repurposed, too.
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15. Consider turning your blog post into a SlideShare
presentation or your existing print brochure into an
ebook. Repurposing allows you to get the most out of your
content.
Learn more about ways to repurpose your content here.
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16. Follow these steps and
you’ll be feeling like
the Martha Stewart of
content marketing in
no time.
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17. Happy Thanksgiving from us gals here at
Cursive Content Marketing
(we aren’t hosting this year,
but we do make a mean pumpkin
ice cream pie if you want the recipe).
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