What is Content Development?

Content marketing is non-negotiable for brands today. No matter your industry, the scope of your brand awareness, the height of your SEO ranking and the size of your digital footprint depend upon the cliche that “content is king.” As of last year, 73% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers report using content marketing as part of their overall marketing mix.

It is easy to confuse content marketing with content development. Even in some marketing circles, you’ll find these terms often used interchangeably. That said, there is a difference; in this case, the egg comes before the chicken. Content development is the egg, and content marketing the chicken. Think of it this way: content development is the strategy and creative production process, while marketing is the application, value and result. 

Content development spans from ideation and research to the actual writing, design, and production of digital assets. Then, those assets can be published for measurable results. High-end materials created throughout the content development process include a combination of web copy, newsletters, white papers, social media content, blogs, articles, videos, graphics, and other visuals. Effective content unlocks your access to content marketing and provides materials and assets to put your brand on the map.

The best brand activations build your brand’s visibility and engage directly with your key customers and stakeholders with highly memorable creative events. The key is to ensure your brand can back up those fantastical experiences with real-world data and product capabilities.

Do You Really Need Professional Content Development?

Excellent content marketing can only exist with the right strategic development process. Remember that content development is how marketers capture your brand story, refine your messaging, and develop consistent messaging across your owned media channels to have the biggest impact on your target audience. 

To set a strong foundation, your content development team should have holistic marketing experience. That way, you can rest assured that your content marketing program will supercharge your brand awareness with robust SEO optimization, conversion tools, and customer touchpoints. The best content development strategies fuel powerful campaigns to connect with your customers in the right places, at the right times. 

Finally, consistent branding across multiple platforms is crucial to successful content development. Two thirds of consumers trust branded content over traditional ads. Given everything content development entails and the expected results, investing upfront will save you time and provide an excellent ROI on your  content marketing program. 

What are the Must-Haves of a  Good Content Development Plan?

The development process is what will make or break the success of your content marketing program. Even with the best optimization tools in place, poorly-written copy or images that don’t make a visual impact will fail to reel your prospective customers into the conversion step. Here are the must-have elements we recommend for a powerful content development plan.

• A Brand Analysis: To ensure that you have consistent messaging and visual brand representation across all marketing channels, it is paramount that your content development process begins with a brand analysis. Otherwise, you risk inconsistent language and — in the worst case — contradictory messaging which loses your target audience’s trust. At Trust Relations, we use the Trust Analysis to define the brand you want to be and how you want to be represented in the media. We do this assessment for every client to ensure your brand messaging will deliver the results you want to see—and power your broader brand goals.
• Content Marketing Campaign Development: Content marketing experts must develop and activate bespoke campaigns, ideally complete with lead magnet development, funnel creation, landing page creative, social media posts, and more. Per the brand analysis above, all content should be consistent in its language and visual production to strengthen the trust between your brand and its target audiences.
• Copywriting: Copywriting is a specific form of writing designed to encourage potential customers to take action. Compelling copy should seamlessly communicate your key messaging points for specific industries—from niche tech solutions and B2B services to consumer-lifestyle brands and more. Copywriting can include: 

• • Case studies that showcase your customer success stories
  • Valuable blog posts that capture your industry expertise
  • Website copy to communicate your key messaging to target customers
  • Email campaigns to grow your business
  • And anything else you might need to achieve your business goals!

• Website Design: Good strategic website design leverages the expertise of seasoned graphic designers, UX, and SEO specialists. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to make a few updates to your existing website, it is wise to tap into the expertise of specialists that manage the backend development, user experience, and design elements needed to ensure your brand image shines online.
• Graphic Design: Visually appealing graphics, from print to digital assets, are crucial to making your brand recognizable and memorable. Expert designers can infuse your infographics, company one-pagers, branded presentations, and other corporate communications with elegant, innovative design aesthetics. The key is to ensure those assets create a memorable brand image across all marketing channels, while still remaining consistent with your brand identity.
• Social Media Marketing: Expert digital marketers can conceptualize, create, and place ads on top social media channels relevant to your industry. Across LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, the best marketing experts can curate strategic posts and campaigns to reach your target audiences. At Trust Relations, we provide detailed monthly reports to showcase how that content is moving the needle for your KPIs.
• Search Engine Optimization: If you want to supercharge your content development with SEO, look for a professional team with extensive experience in search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). With the right expertise on deck, you can build a solid SEO foundation into the fabric of your content strategy, to boost your overall rankings over time with every piece of content you publish.
• Custom Production and Distribution: Depending on your target audience and your industry, you may want to add video content, a podcast, or other types of dynamic marketing content to broadcast your message. At Trust Relations, for example, we have an in-house podcast production team that can help you to sponsor—and even create—your own podcast show to showcase your expertise, invite industry experts to speak, and create a digital footprint for the topics you and your customers care about most.

How Trust Factors In

“Trust Relations” is a term coined by President and Founder April White to describe a new approach to strategic communications. That process hinges upon earning the trust of your audiences and stakeholders with content that conveys who you actually are — not just who you pretend to be. If your storytelling and “story-doing” are the same, your content marketing program will be all the more compelling.

When it comes to content, trust is everything. If your content development process does not take relationship building into consideration, your efforts will be wasted. This is where we excel.

At Trust Relations, we’re here to power your future success. Our high-value and nimble approach takes your valuable industry expertise, insights, and opinions and translates your mission into sharable and engaging content. If lackluster content services have burned you in the past, we can show you something new. 

Work with us here.