We’ve been talking a lot about getting started with content marketing lately and with good reason. It’s got great long-term ROI. It’s compelling and taps in to our fundamental human desires. We even gave you a step-by-step guide to getting started. But maybe you’re still overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. Content marketing is a pretty big umbrella for someone just getting started. So, here’s 3 Actionable Steps to Getting Started with Content Marketing today.

1. Figure Out Who Your Audience Is

In order to be successful in content marketing, you need to figure out who you’re marketing is targeting. We’ve found the best way to do this is to research your target market and crete a buyer persona.

A buyer persona is who you imagine your ideal prospect would be. When you are getting started with content marketing, always keep the buyer persona in mind, that’s who your content should resonate with. When you write a blog post, ask yourself, “Is this something my ideal prospect would find useful?”

2. Create Pillar Content

Now that you’ve determined who you’re writing for, you need to determine what the most essential pieces of content are for that person. Starting from ground zero, what are the first things they need to know to get started that are fundamental to your business?

You won’t necessarily know exactly what content you create is pillar content when you’re making it. As you continue to create and publish content, it will become clear which pieces of that content are most valuable to your audience. The important thing is to get started.

3. Gain Permission

Online content marketing works by first gaining your audience’s trust and then selling to them. Once you’ve targeted your audience and created pillar content that helps solve their problems, you’re in a good position to start selling. There are a variety of ways to do this, but the grandaddy of them all is email. All the social media buzz is great, but email marketing is still where it’s at. Once you’ve started generating email opt-ins, you’re well on your way to being a successful content marketer.