Getting your authors to generate targeted content on a consistent basis can be much like coaching: you are responsible for the team results, but don't always have control over their effort...

We can find professional services content marketing lessons in our middle school memories? Yikes! Save me from thinking of my long hair, buck teeth, and general, ongoing feeling of discomfort at all times.

One gem, among the countless memories of cringe, is when I accepted the 1992 Secrist Middle School Girls Volleyball Team Stinger Award for 100% accurate serves all season. It didn't earn me a feature on Real Sports or recognition among Great Athletic Achievements, but it did help my Scorpions make it to the conference finals ... and for my coach, that was the whole point.

Getting your authors to generate targeted content on a consistent basis can be much like coaching: you are responsible for the team results, but don't always have control over their effort.

One solution: consider implementing merit-based awards to improve the performance of your content marketing program. Some considerations:

1. Create Awards That Align With Your Specific Need(s)

Back in middle school, from the beginning of the season, I was aware of the Stinger Award categories. Knowing that I couldn't compete for most spikes or blocks allowed me to pick a category that fit my strong suit: just get the ball over the net each and every serve.

So, what do you need from your team:

• Increased content volume?
• More visibility within a particular industry or practice?
• Participation from a segment of your organization (say, a particular practice or industry group)?

Recognize your organization's ongoing successes in each of these areas. By creating awards that match up to your specific needs, members of your team can self-identify with the goal that matches their strong suit and interest(s).

2. Share Progress Consistently

At the end of each match, our team scorer shared a copy of the stat sheet with each team member. It listed every player and two columns: performance during the match and compiled stats to date.

Measure your team’s progress and individual contributions toward their goal(s).

This collection of stats gave visibility into how my numbers compared to others and what effort was needed to secure the award I wanted. It also allowed us to celebrate the individual victories of each player after every game.

The takeaway: once you’ve identified the categories and shared details about the awards, regularly track progress against those goals and share the information internally. Measure your team’s progress and individual contributions toward their goal(s).

3. Hype Up The Awards And The Results

The Stinger Awards were part of the school's volleyball culture, from tryouts through end of the season. Coach underscored the program as a point of pride throughout the community, from parents to students to administrators.

...get on board a high-ranking co-chair...

Before announcing your award program, get on board a high-ranking co-chair – say, a member of the executive committee or practice group lead. Showing that the award program, and therefore your organization's content, matters for everyone helps to establish (and maintain) a sense of priority and fosters a culture of participation in marketing efforts.

In that sense, we all win!

[Here are some additional posts on running a successful content marketing program, including best practices around using reader data to support your authors and their business growth.]

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Paul Ryplewski is JD Supra's VP of Client Services. Connect with him on LinkedIn.