What Do You Want to Achieve? With a framework for thinking about your content factory in place, consider what you want your content factory to achieve. What should your goals be and how will they support your company’s overall marketing efforts and business objectives? Which parts of the sales funnel need to be opti- mized most? Maybe it’s getting people into the funnel by raising awareness, or propelling them through the sales process with more efficient lead nurturing. Whatever it may be, clearly articu- lating your objectives will help give your content marketing program direction. Now is also a good time to take stock of your existing content marketing and whether it can help you meet your goals. Armed with an understanding of where your content marketing currently stands, as well as a clear picture of where you ultimately want it to be, you can develop spe- cific, actionable goals to help you bridge the gap. What those goals should be — and how to best achieve them — will become increasingly clear throughout the pages that follow. “Many companies approach content marketing from the publish first, ask ‘why’ later mentality. This almost always ends up in a frustrating, ineffective, and fragmented mess. The key to success with content marketing is starting with a smart strategy and framework that builds a program focused on specific business value. It’s critical that content is aligned with the emotional ebbs and flows of a buyer’s journey to making a purchase in your favor. OpenView has provided an extraordinarily well thought out approach to this. Don’t just download or share this eBook. Read it. It will help you start your approach on the right foot.” Robert Rose, Chief Strategist, Content Marketing Institute It Takes a Content Factory! | 18