In today’s digital landscape, whether you’re marketing to consumers or B2B organizations, shoppers are more informed than ever. According to Adweek, 81% of shoppers conduct online research before buying, engaging with blog content, videos, social media posts, and more along the path to purchase. Content marketing enables you to meet shoppers at these critical touchpoints, ensuring your brand is visible and compelling before shoppers narrow their options.
This program provides you with the practical skills to effectively leverage content marketing and position your brand in the consideration set. Over six intensive weeks, you will learn how to craft content strategies that build brand awareness, inspire customer loyalty, and drive business growth.
Grounded in real-world applications and insights, each week covers essential topics such as mapping content to the customer journey, tips for efficient content creation, and strategies for measuring success. By the end of the program, you’ll be equipped to develop a comprehensive editorial plan and utilize content marketing to help your brand thrive in a competitive market.
Who Should Attend
This program is ideal for experienced marketers seeking to broaden their expertise to encompass content marketing best practices, so that they may use this knowledge to launch an effective program for their organization. It’s also well-suited for professionals with journalism or writing backgrounds looking to transition into content marketing and early-career marketers interested in specializing in this rapidly growing marketing discipline.
Benefits
Consumers and B2B buyers have one thing in common: they are both increasingly searching for information online before making a purchase decision. In fact, they’re often very far down the purchase path by the time they connect with your organization. Content marketing helps ensure your brand is visible during this critical research phase. By completing this program, you’ll learn the best practices for managing an effective content marketing program that will help raise brand awareness, build customer loyalty, and educate your prospects.
By adding this practical knowledge to your marketing toolkit, you’ll gain valuable skills that will help your organization succeed as well as set you apart in today’s competitive job market.
According to recent data from the Content Marketing Institute and Semrush:
89 percent of B2B companies are using content marketing
71 percent of B2B marketers say content marketing has become more important to their organization in the last year
75 percent of companies increased their production of content marketing
52 percent of B2B businesses focused on creating and posting more content
48 percent of content marketers cited not having enough content as a challenge in scaling production
51 percent of companies had a content marketing manager on staff
Topics/Syllabus
Week 1: Content Marketing in Context
Content marketing defined
The evolution of content marketing
Outbound (push) vs Inbound (pull) marketing
Content marketing’s role within the marketing mix
Content types and how they map to the customer journey
The 4Cs of Content Marketing
Class project overview: Developing an editorial plan
Week 2: Setting the Foundation
Audience insights: Using personas to better understand your buyers
Product knowledge: How to gather the right information from subject matter experts
Content audit: Understand what you already have on hand and how to fill in the gaps
Brand and product positioning: Get your story straight before you start storytelling
Choosing your channels: Identify the places and spaces where your audience already lives
Week 3: Editorial Strategy, Process, and Planning
Content objectives
The Content Marketing Matrix: Aligning content types with audience needs
“Always on” content vs one-offs vs campaigns
Internal stakeholders and editorial partners: Identifying key contributors to the content process
Idea generation techniques: How to brainstorm and filter content ideas
The 80/20 Rule: Creating a blueprint for consistent content publishing
The request process: How to avoid becoming a short-order cook
Week 4: Content Distribution, Measurement, and Optimization
Measurement: Identifying the most important KPIs for content marketing
Distribution: Strategies for leveraging paid, earned, and owned media
Optimization: Techniques for refining content based on performance data
Content recycling: Extending the shelf life of existing content through repurposing
How AI can boost creativity and efficiency in content creation
Week 5: Tools, Tips, and Trade Secrets
Top tools for content marketers: An overview of essential tools that every content marketer should know
Common obstacles: Strategies for overcoming the most common challenges you’ll encounter as a content marketer
Best practices of world-class content marketers
Week 6: Final Presentations
Editorial plan presentations: Students present their final editorial plans, demonstrating their strategy, content calendar, and KPIs
Feedback and course wrap-up: Final thoughts, reflections, and Q&A
FAQ
Do I get DePaul credit for this class?
No, this is a professional education class with different requirements than courses taken for academic credit.
How big is the class?
Class size is limited to allow for a more interactive environment in the classroom. Most classes have fewer than 20 students.
Will I have to write papers and take exams?
You will have to create a content marketing editorial plan aligned to the stages in the buyer’s journey hackathon. You must successfully complete the project presentation to receive the certificate.
What is the difference between a certificate and a certification?
A certificate is earned after completion of a course or a series of courses. Certificates are usually awarded by a training provider or an educational institution. Certification typically includes an experience, an educational component and requires passing an exam. Certifications are awarded by governmental and/or professional agencies and often require recertification to remain certified.
Dates: 2/12/2025 - 3/19/2025 Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Location: Online Cost: $1,495.00 Registration Deadline: 02/5/2025 - a $75 late fee will be assessed after this date for late registrations Final Deadline: 02/12/2025
