Content marketing has taken the world of digital marketing by storm- and for good reason! Informative, helpful, and unique content generates more website traffic, converts more visitors into leads, and helps companies establish themselves as an authority in their respective niche. So, what should your company know about content marketing?
What Exactly is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is all about adding value to your customers and target market. That probably sounds like a generic response, so let’s break this down a bit, shall we?
Great Content Educates the User
Great content educates customers by answering their common questions. It requires you to put your customer’s needs before your own, by ensuring that their questions are fully answered. Doing this not only establishes the building blocks of trust between you and your audience, but it also enhances your reputation as an expert in your field.
One of my favorite examples of education-based content comes from the grilling experts at Weber:
What makes this piece of content so incredibly delightful is that the video isn’t a sales pitch for Weber Grills. Rather, by understanding the many factors that go into using one of their grills (i.e. choosing a steak), they’re educating anyone who uses a grill. In this sense, their efforts are applicable to the masses, rather than just Weber’s customer-base.
(And let’s not forget the terminology used in the title of this video: “How-to Choose”- This is a brilliant way of catching the attention of novice and expert grill owners alike!)
Of course, writing out your educational materials in blog format is another great way to answer consumers’ questions. By putting a blog on your company’s website you can start sharing your knowledge in your niche and strengthen your competitiveness in the search engines.
Great Content Engages the User
Another key attribute of great content is that is engages people. Sure, you can put together a massive document for your hotel or lodging business on “travel tips for the perfect weekend getaway,” but without visual aids this might not get the engagement you were hoping for.
Whenever you create a piece of content it’s important to ask yourself if this is something you’d be willing to consume.
Along the same lines, your content should contain a mixture of media. From images to gifs to videos that support your message, every piece of content can benefit from a visual by helping to break-up the copy and engage your buyer persona.
Great Content Entices the User
Let’s not forget the point of all this amazing content we’re creating. It should be contributing to your bottom line!
Almost every piece of content you create should entice people to take action and help fulfill your business objectives. If you’ve successfully educated and engaged visitors, then this final step should be a piece of cake.
The Many Faces of Content
Content comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and it’s important to maintain a nice mix of content marketing materials.
One of the most popular forms of content is blogging. Blogging is an excellent way to share information about your industry, and to answer pressing customer questions. WordPress is one of the best platforms for business blogging, and has a variety of tools that make it easy for businesses to grow their content marketing efforts.
Another option is to create how-to videos that show people how to use and maintain a product. If your company sells flowers, for example, it might be helpful to share tips on how to care for them.
Case studies are another way to educate customers, especially in the business-to-business field. Case studies can tell your prospects a story about a similar company who came to your firm for help, and this is how your product or service solved their problem.
Is Your Company’s Content Up to Snuff?
If your company is looking for a boost in traffic, higher engagement on your website, and a stronger overall online marketing strategy, then contact us today to schedule your one-on-one marketing assessment!
