Content marketing is showing no signs of slowing down. It begs the question why this is beginning to replace the traditional methods of outbound marketing. The answer is apparent: businesses are finding that content marketing attracts customers and builds real trust between brands and consumers with the use of owned media instead of rented media. Content marketing is empowering customers with consistent and valuable information they need, making them more perceptive and ultimately benefiting organisations with their business and loyalty.
So what is Content Marketing?
“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action” – Content Marketing Institute
Content can be said to be just about anything the organisation churns out, ranging from articles to blog posts and even social media posts and podcasts. They can be visual, auditory or written. The main function of content marketing is to attract customers and more importantly keep them engaged. In other words, it is the art of communicating with your prospective customers without selling. This makes content marketing a creative outlet in terms of sources of information, awarding creators of these content the opportunity to test the boundaries that define their creativity.
Open up options by jumping on the latest Internet bandwagon! These are the essentials to building a content marketing strategy;
- The Basics: Start with the content that is already on your website and work from there .The key is to optimize user benefits by making sure there is ease in accessing information they are looking for and you are offering the solution.
- Stand out: Bring out your unique style, as the web in a sea of information and your competitors are out in the open too. The only way to make a good impression is to have a unique style of presentation. It only takes 7 seconds to make an impression.
- Intent-based content: Identify your target audience and thought has to be put in to the user’s wants, expectations, or needs when he or she arrives on your website through search. Find out what they are actually talking about instead of making vague assumptions. Try to also anticipate what type of questions your clients may have.
- Don’t “sell”: Leave the selling of your content and try to provide as much value as you can. People will naturally want to buy this way. Think of it as ‘commercial karma’. (says Bryony Thomas)
- Don’t publish low-quality content: It is a better way to build your authority, credibility, and brand recognition when you don’t publish a particular piece of content you don’t consider to be high-quality. High-quality content in anything that is engaging and informative on a regular basis.
- Be reachable: Follow up on discussions as this signals to everyone you are listening and being responsive. It puts a real person behind the valuable information and makes them more inclined to trust you. You reap what you sow.
The challenge in content marketing would be producing engaging content and making the transition for audiences from learning from you to buying from you easy. Through content marketing, networks can expand rapidly and deliver warm leads that are easy to convert. In the midst of creating content, it is imperative not to forget that at end of it all – it has to be congruent with the company’s vision and goals.
Posted by Thaslim Begum, CorpMedia
Corporate Media Services 