The Content Marketing Hierarchy of Needs Discover how Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be applied to inbound marketing for a successful content strategy.

Physiological or Basic Needs: Content

Physiological or Basic Needs: Content

This is the staple of content marketing, obviously. Without it, there would be no blog, no point in social media and no way of establishing your brand’s reputation - to put it bluntly.

You need content that:

• Provides actionable advice• Answers your prospects’ business pains• Takes your prospects on a journey• Promotes your services or product• Provides technical know-how and expertise• Promotes your business proposition What does this

mean for me?Content that at least keeps me in my job

for a good few months!

78% of CMOs think

custom content is the future of

marketing 91% of B2B marketers

use content marketing

Safety: Evidenceand ROI

Safety: Evidence and ROI

Okay so you’ve been blogging and maybe produced some infographics and other rich media, but this doesn’t mean you’re safe! Even a few social media shares won’t cut it, not just yet anyway.

Your content needs to:• Drive truckloads of the right traffic• Generate an army of relevant leads• Deliver massive returns on investment• Provide evidence of your proposition’s success

Basically, is what you’re talking about:a) Making you money?b) Supporting your wonderful claims?

What does this mean for me?

Content that might keep me in my job

long enough to look for another job!

Inbound marketing costs

62% less per lead than

traditional outbound marketing

41% of marketers confirm content marketing’s

positive ROI

SocialSocial Media

Needs:

Social Needs: Social Media

If you’re not on social media then firstly, where have you been? And secondly, where have you been?! Social media is becoming the new homepage for brands; instantly accessible and used by 74% of all internet users. So we suggest snapping up a Twitter handle sharpish.

What does this mean for me?Content that is at least liked by one

person!

For any level of brand advocacy, you’ll need your content to:

• Encourage people to share it with their following• Focus on what your audience is talking about/wants to read• Get the attention of industry influencers• Create interesting conversations• Maximise and extend the reach of your audience

78% of small businesses

attract new customers through social media 50%

of marketers see improved sales

from social media

Esteem:BrandReputation

Esteem: Brand Reputation

This is sort of related to Social Needs but a bit more egotistical. Your content should not only appeal to what the people want, but it should feed the needs of your own brand too - although the people are awesome and it’s all about the people really… We love the people.

Is your content:

• Driving publicity?• Maintaining consistent brand messaging?• Building a strong brand reputation?

What does this mean for me?Content that at

least I like

to produce!

72% of people trust

online reviews as much as personal recommendations

“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.”- Jess Bezoz, CEO, Amazon

Self-actualisation: Best in Class

Social Needs: Social Media

You can’t really get much better than this. If you’ve reached this point you can kick back with a Tequila Sunrise and bask in your success. But only for ten minutes, there’s still work to be done.

Does your content:

• Provide a unique content experience?• Move your prospect into the white space and above all the noise?• Deliver above the expectations of the consumer?

What does this mean for me?I have a content

strategy that f*#%ing rocks

84% of marketers who said

their content marketing is ineffective admitted to having no strategy 44%

of marketers have a documented

content marketing strategy

Physiological or Basic Needs: Content

Safety: Evidenceand ROI

SocialSocial Media

Needs:

Esteem:BrandReputation

Self-actualisation: Best in Class

If you want to be best in class - who doesn’t? - and deliver a content strategy that encapsulates all elements of The Content Marketing Hierarchy of Needs, then get your hands on: ‘The Key Characteristics of High Performing Content’

and channel your inner Maslow.