Content marketing is integral to driving sales for your business and should not be ignored. Content can be in the form of an on-site blog, video, or podcast and must be incorporated into your online marketing strategy. This infographic of 20 content marketing must-knows should convince you of its importance.
Content marketing is a great way to get creative. Experiment and iterate to find what really resonates with your audience. As you create content, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t. You’ll land on the format(s) and kinds of content that best meet your business objectives too.
Question 1: Interesting to me or to my audience?
Once you get into the swing of generating ideas for content, it’s very easy to get caught up in what interests you alone. Remember, what interests you doesn’t always equate to what interests your audience. You have to consider the context of your content, delivery, and possible knowledge gaps between you and your audience.
All content needs to be relevant, educational, and valuable to your audience while being inspiring and entertaining. Most importantly, it needs to be relatable and personable to your business buyer personas. Here are 5 easy steps to identify them.
Question 2: How do I get this across to my audience?
Wishing and hoping for people to read, listen or watch your content doesn’t work, sadly. The key is to distribute via the right channels. Put in the work to customise content to each channel.
Study the channels available to you. Select 2 or 3 likely to be most popular with those you want to reach. Map the channels to the content formats you plan to produce. For example, long videos -> YouTube, striking visuals -> Instagram, and so on.
Finally, review your analytics on all these platforms periodically to evaluate what’s working and how to improve. Choose metrics that align with your business goals when it comes to awareness, engagement, and conversion.
Question 3: Does this have the potential to win long-term business?
Your content has the best chance at working for you when it’s strategic and part of a campaign. Tell a story to connect with people and inspire them to act one step at a time. Don’t be afraid to ask them what content they want from time to time.
Engage your customer every step of the way. Tie your content into your brand or campaign’s overarching key message. Tailor it to be exactly what your customer wants or needs to hear at that moment in their buyer journey.
Question 4: Have I put a new spin on this?
While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the same old drab content just won’t fly. Your new take could be in the form of experimenting with a new content format or feature. You could revisit a tired topic from a new angle armed with data you have on hand.
Insights and data will reveal patterns and guide you to possible stories of interest. If you’re stuck for ideas, turn to your customers through social polls and surveys. Find out what they want to learn about directly from them.
Question 5: Is this in keeping with my brand?
Don’t jump on the back of every viral trend just because it’s worked wonders for another brand. Think about your strengths as a business and your mastery in a niche. There will definitely be ways to contribute to hot conversations in a meaningful, credible manner.
Be real with what you can and cannot do with the time and resources you have to spare. Some ideas are great in theory, but if you can’t execute them well and in time, it’s best to save them for future use. Quality over quantity, always.
Looking to start your content marketing right away? Check out the posts below to see if these content formats are for you. Good luck!
Comments